Is Sam Darnold’s 2026 forecast Seahawks’ biggest question this spring?

The Seattle Seahawks face several questions prior to the start of the 2026 NFL season as the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Will Jaxon Smith-Njigba have another historic year in 2026? Is the Seahawks‘ secondary strong enough to rival their level of excellence from 2025 next season following the departures of Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen in free agency? As for star quarterback Sam Darnold, how will he follow-up his brilliant play from last season in 2026?

According to Fox Sports’ Ben Arthur, the biggest question surrounding the Seahawks entering next summer is whether or not Darnold will maintain his elite level of play next season.

“Darnold beat the bust label years ago. But how he responds to a larger workload in 2026, coming off a Super Bowl victory, remains to be seen,” Arthur said. “The two-time Pro Bowler no longer has the luxury of having Kenneth Walker III in the backfield, and Zach Charbonnet is expected to miss the start of the season with a torn ACL.”

Darnold orchestrated the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning offense last season. The USC product threw for 4,000 yards for the second straight season in 2025 and played like one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Despite Walker III’s departure and Charbonnet’s injury, Darnold will have star rookie RB Jadarian Price to hand the ball off to next season. Price is expected to give Seattle similar production to that of Charbonnet in 2026. Darnold’s weapons in the receiving game, as well as his offensive line, are the same from last season, making another elite season in 2026 reasonable to expect.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Is elite season for Sam Darnold in 2026 Seahawks’ biggest question?