By handing Sam Darnold a $100 million contract in free agency, the Seattle Seahawks are placing a lot of faith in a quarterback with a lot of question marks.

For a long time, Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, was widely seen as a bust after flaming out with the New York Jets and underwhelming stints with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers. That was until last year, when he put up borderline MVP candidate numbers – completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions – to help lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record.

Still, the jury’s out on whether Darnold was just a one-hit wonder or if this is the standard to expectfrom him going forward.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold passes the ball during mini-camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

For new Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp, however, there’s no debate whatsoever.

“I think without a doubt, he’s got his best football ahead of him,” Kupp told The Athletic. “I love his competitiveness. He’s not OK with things being just OK.

“He wants to be perfect. He wants to be right. He wants to be good for the guys. That’s the standard he holds himself to, and I love it. The issue has never been whether he can throw the rock or not. I’ve been watching since he was at USC, and it’s like, ‘Man, he can throw the ball.’”

Kupp, the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl LVI MVP, spent his previous eight NFL seasons playing with the Los Angeles Rams. The last four of those seasons came with Matthew Stafford, one of the premier gunslingers in recent NFL history, as his quarterback, so Darnold has big shoes to fill from Kupp’s perspective.

With a system that caters to his strengths, Darnold could have another big season in Seattle, but he’ll definitely have to prove that last year wasn’t just a fluke.

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