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22 hours ago
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Sam Darnold has traveled one of the most improbable arcs the NFL has witnessed in recent memory, and the latest stamp of validation comes courtesy of Colin Cowherd, who slotted the Seattle Seahawks signal-caller into his top-10 quarterback rankings.
Cowherd's pecking order opens with Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Caleb Williams, Justin Herbert, and Matthew Stafford holding down the first five spots. The back half rolls out as Joe Burrow at six, followed by Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye, Jared Goff, and Darnold, rounding out the tenth slot.
He's the reigning Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Seattle, a former first-round selection once branded a draft disappointment with the New York Jets, and now a franchise cornerstone for the Pacific Northwest.
The conversation around him five years ago revolved around bust rankings. Today, it revolves around whether he belongs alongside Goff, Herbert, and Maye in the tier just beneath the truly elite. He's closer to that group than to Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, or Burrow, and there's no shame attached to that classification.
Cowherd built his case around production. "And No. 10, 35-10 in his last 45 starts, Sam Darnold. Highest win percentage by any quarterback last two years in the league. Big, athletic, risk-taking, no turnovers when it mattered in the playoffs. Still 28, five different teams, won a disaster," Cowherd said. "But if you go, remember he was benched in Carolina, came back, went 4-2. If you take his career starting then, winningest quarterback in the NFL with the second highest passer rating."
Week 8 Monday night clash sets up USC quarterback duel against Caleb Williams
The ranking lands with extra resonance because Darnold's next major spotlight game pits him directly against the man Cowherd ranked third overall. Seattle and the Chicago Bears will share a Monday Night Football stage in Week 8, denying fans the Week 1 opener many had circled but delivering the matchup nonetheless.
Their previous meeting offered little in the way of offensive fireworks. Seattle's defense suffocated Williams during his rookie campaign in a 6-3 final, though the young quarterback flashed enough to hint at the player he's grown into. Williams now operates under head coach Ben Johnson, a significant scheme upgrade that should reshape Chicago's offensive identity heading into the rematch.
The Seahawks counter with USC representation on their own sideline. Leonard Williams, Uchenna Nwosu, and Brandon Pili will line up across from Caleb, and that same defensive unit successfully bottled up Drake Maye during Seattle's Super Bowl triumph.
A 6-3 rerun feels unlikely. Seattle showed scoring punch in its meetings with the Los Angeles Rams, and Chicago's offensive overhaul under Johnson should produce more sustained drives than last season.
Both quarterbacks figure to determine the outcome, and a track meet between two USC products on Monday night carries genuine entertainment value. The deciding factor likely won't be defense this time. It'll come down to which Trojan delivers the cleaner, sharper performance when the lights are brightest.
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