“That’s where it unlocked”- $100,500,000 star Sam Darnold reveals how Brock Purdy influenced his game before Seattle move

New Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Sam Darnold has thanked and credited San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy for helping him develop as a player in the NFL.

While at his Seahawks introductory press conference on Thursday, Darnold made clear that learning to trust the players around him and act as the "point guard" of the offensive unit has led to his newfound success in recent years.

"I really thank Brock Purdy a ton, for just his style of play and how he described his style. Like, we've got a lot of great playmakers on offense. My job is just to play point guard and get the ball in their hands and let them go do great things with the rock."

NFL analyst Akash Anavarathan reposted the clip on his X (formerly Twitter) profile.

On March 10th, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport broke the news that Darnold had signed a major contract with the Seahawks. The three-year deal is worth $100.5 million, $55 million of which are fully guaranteed and $37.5 million allocated for the first season.

Sam Darnold Can Help The Seattle Seahawks Compete In The NFC

Sam Darnold is coming off the best season of his NFL career and is entering a great system and offensive unit around him.

Last year for the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold had 4,319 passing yards, 36 total touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Although the final two games of the season were extremely concerning as Darnold did not play well in either pivotal games for the Vikings, he was one of the top QB's available in this free-agency class.

Darnold is entering a great situation in Seattle. Head coach Mike Macdonald and new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak seem to have a plan in place for next season after the release of WR Tyler Lockett and the trades of both QB Geno Smith and WR DK Metcalf. The moves, though losses for the organization, free up major cap space and give the team various key mid-round draft picks as well.

The departures also signal a changing of the guard at the receiver position to star Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who emerged as one of the best receivers in the league last year. During the 2024 campaign, he had 100 receptions, 1,130 receiving yards, and six touchdowns.

With stars like Smith-Njigba, as well as running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, Darnold should easily be able to find talented players to get the ball to in this dangerous Seattle offense.