Seahawks HC scoffs at notion Darnold won't start

SEATTLE -- If determination was immoderate lingering conception that a steadfast Sam Darnold could get bushed retired for the Seattle Seahawks' starting backmost job, manager Mike Macdonald enactment it to remainder successful decisive manner connected Tuesday.

During an interview with Seattle Sports 710-AM, Macdonald was asked whether thing different than an wounded betwixt present and the commencement of the play could pb the Seahawks to spell with different quarterback.

"No, you guys are crazy," Macdonald said. "I respect that you've got to inquire it, but it's conscionable a brainsick question. It's conscionable not going to happen. Sam's our starting quarterback. We emotion him. He's doing a tremendous job."

The question came a time aft Darnold delivered an up-and-down show successful the Seahawks' 4th Organized Team Activity, the archetypal of which that was unfastened to reporters. Darnold's lowlights portion starring the No. 1 discourtesy included 2 interceptions successful a span of 3 plays during a seven-on-seven play successful the reddish zone, arsenic good arsenic respective plays that died with the backmost holding onto the ball.

Darnold bounced backmost good from those interceptions, and portion Macdonald didn't contradict that helium made immoderate mistakes, helium besides noted that the backmost got the amended of the defence adjacent the extremity enactment during an earlier period.

Macdonald emphasized that it's inactive aboriginal successful the offseason program, and that immoderate mistakes are expected to hap this clip of the year.

"God forbid you're the worst payer of each clip due to the fact that you made 1 atrocious propulsion oregon 1 atrocious decision," helium said. "That is not what we're trying to build. We privation these guys to spell hole the close mode and past erstwhile they spell retired connected the signifier field, spell freaking fto it rip and past we'll spell hole it ... We've got time. It's June 3 ... They're going to get plentifulness of reps. We'll get those things fixed."

Darnold, 27, is coming disconnected a Pro Bowl play with the Minnesota Vikings, who opted to not re-sign him successful March arsenic they alternatively crook to past year's 10th wide pick, J.J. McCarthy. Darnold led Minnesota to a 14-3 regular-season grounds aft going 21 and 35 arsenic a starter implicit his archetypal six years successful the NFL.

The Seahawks signed Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 cardinal declaration aft trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. Seattle past drafted Jalen Milroe successful the 3rd circular and traded Sam Howell to the Vikings, leaving the Seahawks with a three-man backmost country that besides includes seasoned backup Drew Lock.

Macdonald has said that the program for Milroe is to play a fewer plays a crippled successful specialty packages, and that Darnold volition inactive spot good implicit 90% of the snaps.

The Seahawks' existent backmost concern has been likened to the 1 from which Russell Wilson emerged arsenic the starter arsenic a rookie third-round prime successful 2012. That year, Wilson won the occupation contempt Seattle signing Matt Flynn successful escaped bureau to beryllium the team's presumed starter. One important difference, however, is that Flynn's per-year mean of $6.5 cardinal would beryllium little than fractional of Darnold's $33.5 cardinal mean erstwhile adjusted for this season's wage cap.