IN PICS: Sam Darnold shares behind-the-scenes of QB's first day at Seahawks facility

Sam Darnold officially became a Seattle Seahawk at the start of the new league year, signing a three-year, $100.5-million deal to become the franchise's new starting quarterback. And now, he has an idea of where he will be practicing come April.

On Friday, the one-time Pro Bowler and the official Seahawks Instagram shared the first images of his Thursday visit to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, the team's practice facility.

As said images below show, it was a busy day for him, as he saw his jersey and locker for the first time and had interviews with various reporters:

During his introductory press conference, Darnold credited Brock Purdy, whom he had backed up at the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, with his 2024 successes in Minneapolis:

"My job is to be the point guard and get the playmakers the ball. That's where it unlocked for me."

Meanwhile, new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who had worked with the quarterback in Santa Clara before being hired by head coach Mike Macdonald, said:

"The thing about Sam that really sticks out is he's an A-plus teammate. He elevates those around him and guys he plays with respect him."

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Sam Darnold addresses late struggles in Minnesota

Before his breakout season, Sam Darnold was perceived as one of the NFL's biggest draft busts, struggling with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. However, his performance in the final two games as a Viking mirrored those earlier struggles, raising questions about his consistency.

In the regular-season finale at the Detroit Lions, with the division title, conference top seed and first-round bye at stake, he failed to score a touchdown. He did so again in the Wild Card against the Los Angeles Rams, being sacked nine times, losing a fumble and throwing an interception.

He acknowledged those horrendous performances during the same presser, calling them opportunities to learn more about urgency in the pocket and quickness of release in his new environment:

“I felt like I was taking some unnecessary sacks last year, especially those last few games. Just gotta continue to work (on) that however I can.”

Those comments earned Darnold praise from John Schneider during the general manager's 710 Seattle segment with Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton:

“I thought (it) was really cool. He just owns it … and that honesty and that sincerity is like a natural leadership skill, just the self-awareness.”

The Seahawks will look to improve on their 10-7 record and make the playoffs for the first time since 2022, their first in the post-Russell Wilson era.