Seahawks moving on from Geno Smith, appear to have younger QB in mind

Smith, 34, threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024, nearly leading Seattle to the playoffs at 10-7.

Las Vegas, which owns the No. 6 overall pick in the upcoming draft, was widely considered to be in contention for Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders whose stock has slowly dropped since the NFL Scouting Combine.

Despite dealing for the 34-year-old Smith, Sanders could still be an option a la the Atlanta Falcons bringing in Kirk Cousins and drafting Michael Penix Jr. in 2024.

However, Seattle (pick No. 18) will need to search for a free-agent replacement instead of finding its next signal-caller in the draft.

Insider Tom Pelissero reported on X that Seattle has Vikings QB Sam Darnold atop its list. Darnold is an impending free agent after Minnesota declined to use its franchise tag on the 27-year-old.

Darnold was one of the league's top passers in 2024, recording 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdown passes. He led Minnesota to a 14-3 record before crashing out in the wild-card round.

Seattle's next move at QB will be closely watched in the coming days as the new league year kicks off on March 12, the same day free agency opens.