Yahoo Sports NFL on Sam Darnold

Darnold regressed sharply from 2025; turnovers and pocket awareness decline mirrors Jets-era struggles.

Darnold's 2026 performance represents a significant regression from his 2025 Super Bowl-winning season; he's shown moments of brilliance but has been clouded by more turnovers, complete regression in pocket awareness, and loss of gunslinger swagger. The source notes his play looks closer to 'Jets Sam Darnold' than the past two seasons, suggesting hesitancy and lack of self-belief. He could not fix the team's turnover problem (14 turnovers, -1 differential), while Lock showed no turnover issues in his small sample.

Sam DarnoldQB · SEAPlayer page — value, ADP, projections, and every insight