The Pittsburgh Steelers’ first external quarterback pursuit wasn’t Aaron Rodgers. It was Sam Darnold. But despite the Seattle Seahawks flipping stud receiver DK Metcalf to the Steelers and leaving their WR room thin, Darnold still chose going west instead of east. Even so, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer paints a picture of Darnold being intrigued by the idea of playing in Pittsburgh.
“Seattle beat out the Steelers (Darnold really did love the idea of playing for Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith) for the quarterback’s services with the three-year deal that would give him $37.5 million in Year 1, a $55 million injury guarantee, and early-vesting roster bonuses in of $15 million and $10 million in February 2026 and ’27,” Breer wrote in a Monday morning column for SI.
Even without Metcalf, Seattle had plenty to offer. Presumably, their contract offer was more enticing than the one made by the Steelers, who seem to have been outbid on every offer they made. The New York Jets gave Justin Fields more than Pittsburgh. The New York Giants’ standing offer for Rodgers is reportedly better than the Steelers’. Darnold’s deal with Seattle doesn’t offer full guarantees past the first year, but solid play will compel the organization to pick up his yearly early roster bonuses, locking him in ahead of each offseason.
But the element that sold Darnold most was the coaching staff. He reunites with Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak after the pair worked together in 2023 with San Francisco. Though Darnold spent most of that season as the backup, he used the time to learn and grow and propel him to a career year in Minnesota, culminating in his big Seattle payday.
Had Seattle reached an extension with Geno Smith instead of trading him to the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s fair to wonder if Darnold would’ve pivoted to the Steelers. The Raiders would’ve then been in play for Darnold but lacked the strong coaching attachments the Seahawks provided. Arthur Smith, despite being known as a run-minded offensive coordinator, has worked well with quarterbacks in need of a fresh start. Ryan Tannehill turned his career around in Tennessee while Fields improved in Pittsburgh, viewed as a backup after 2023 to a full-time starter in 2025 after showing significant improvement last season in six starts for the Steelers.
But none of that matters. In the end, it’s all theory. Darnold didn’t sign with Pittsburgh and the Steelers’ search continues, seemingly pinning their hopes on Rodgers saying yes to them after Darnold said no.
