Field Gulls on Sam Darnold
From the article
Kubiak knew what concepts Sam liked and executed well, and those two put together a masterclass in the NFC Championship. I'm not sure if the same applies for Fleury. There's a cynical part of me that believes Kubiak maxed out what he could to make Sam a well-functioning quarterback, and that there really isn't a way forward with Sam as a starter because of his long-standing weak spots in pure dropback situations.
STACKED’s take
Darnold's weak spots in dropback situations may be insurmountable; Fleury's offense not helping him succeed
The source expresses skepticism about Darnold's viability as a long-term starter under new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury. While Darnold performed well under Mike Kubiak in 2024–2025 (including a masterclass in the NFC Championship), the source believes Kubiak maxed out what he could do to make Darnold a well-functioning quarterback, and that Darnold's long-standing weak spots in pure dropback situations may be insurmountable. The source also suggests Fleury's offense is not helping Darnold succeed and position him optimally, and that competent defenses have figured out how to shut down Seattle's play-action concepts and can now blitz and pressure Darnold without respecting the run.
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