The Steelers and tight end Darnell Washington have reached agreement on a four-year, $42M extension

You live too much in a fantasy world again...And nobody will make me believe that Darnold would been good with us in a Arthur Smith offense when he had major struggle in his first 5 years when he was not in the system he has been in the last 2 seasons

Some QB need the right system to have success and Darnold is one of them

 

Hell he had struggles last year.
Sam Darnold: 25 overall tds, 14 ints, and 11 fumbles.
Being on a great team helps, because that is not numbers people write home about.
Example: Rodgers with us last year 25 overall tds , 7ints, and 4 fumbles, and people didn't want him back.

 

Darnold was still much better that Rodgers last season even if we don't include the playoffs.Look at the other stats!

Darnold was at 8.5 yards per pass attempts last season(only Maye was better) vs 6.7 for Rodgers.The success rate was at 50% for Darnold(top 10) vs 43% for Rodgers(bottom 10),the difference was massive.I mean Darnold had 700 more passing yards that Rodgers despite 21 fewer pass attempts!

Darnold had also the edge in TD% at 5.2% vs 4.8 for Rodgers

For the TD-INT ratio,Darnold had a 4 interceptions game in the first game against the rams,but the rest he was very solid...Maybe not elite but still solid.Big reason why the seahawks were 3rd in points and 8th in yards vs 15th in PPG and 25th in yards for the steelers and the biggest problem for Rodgers was against playoffs team....His stats was just brutal against those teams

 

Thank you for arguing my point.

 

Next time try understanding the post you read before you respond. It really helps with communication.

 

Same

 

Tell me you can't back up your claim without actually telling me you can't back up your claim.

 

I don't care how you try spinning it.
25 overall tds, 14 ints, and 11 fumbles is not something that any Qb should be proud of.

 

If the TD-turnovers ratio was so important,Russell Wilson would stay with his team after 2023(Denver) or 2024(steelers)...This stats is by far the most overrated stats for a QB.Important but so overrated when you don't look at the other numbers who is crucial too

 

Darnold is an effective QB. He is an intense competitor and a good leader. Let's not get it all confused that he is anything but a slightly above average QB.
He is able to provide adequate to pretty good play in the proper system. We used to be okay with guys being "system" QBs. Now....as soon as someone starts winning....we have to endlessly debate if they are "elite" or whatever.

Sam Darnold succeeds within the boundaries of the Kubiak offensive system. That's fine. But let's not pretend that he has suddenly emerged as some QB without flaws. He is still gets squirrelly under pressure, is prone to tossing some INTS when he shouldn't, and is not really a guy you want going far off script. Additionally, he isn't going to take an offensive roster and push it to new heights.

Darnold is an effective and valuable QB in the NFL....but he keeps getting talked about in this thread like he is the straw that stirs the drink. He isn't. He's the garnish or maybe the ice cubes....something or other....I'm gonna stop torturing this poor innocent metaphor.

 

Darnold over the last 2 regular seasons is 28-6 with 2 different teams and he has a Superbowl ring. No other QB in league history has ever done this. Brady is the only other QB to win 14 games in back to back seasons but of course that was with one team.

 

I agree...I think Darnold is a very good QB in the right situation but I don't think he is elite too.Both can be true!

 

In 2025, would the Steelers have been better off with Darnold, the player they would have drafted with the high draft pick they got for Watt, and more cap room or Rodgers and Watt?

The same question applies for 2026.

I know I'm assuming a lot here, but I don't think it is unfair to suggest the Steelers could have still gotten a first-rounder for Watt last season. Maybe that happens later and ends up being a 2026 first-round pick. That works, too.

 

You can't be sure that Darnold would accepted our offer and can't be sure that Darnold would been good in a Arthur Smith system Darnold know that after his failure in New York and Carolina because he was not in the right situation

For Watt,I agree with you,this is since 2022 I want a full rebuilding

 

2024 Vikings and 2025 Seahawks run incredibly similar offenses. So while the logos on the helmets change and the players - Darnold was operating in the same system. Both teams are anchored by supremely talented WRs that have helped multiple QBs succeed after they had previously been viewed as failures.

 

Play it out. It isn't a difficult counter-factual scenario to block out.

Watt is going to be most attractive to a 3-4 defense on a play-off team. So say....Chargers, Packers, Vikings, Rams, and throw the Eagles in for fun. Packers are likely out because they already did the Parsons thing. Chargers were full up with vet pass rushers headed into the draft. The rest? No idea how they would feel about it. But you are looking at a 2025 first rounder in say the 20-32 range.

Puts potential Steelers targets like Starks, Emmanwori, and Dart in play. or they go with Pearce, stand him up and try to replace Watt on the roster. Pick your preference for an alternative.

I just do not see a player that changes the 2025 Steelers outcome from WC round exit to something all that much more. They would certainly get younger and cheaper. But to what end?

 

Maybe it makes 2025 better, but it definitely sets them up better for 2026 and beyond. I'm not sure Darnold would have been any better than Rodgers, but he is much younger. I am certain they would have been better off if they could have gotten a 1 for Watt and saved themselves from that contract.

 

You keep saying that you're certain the team would improve. But you don't have counter-factual example of that improvement. It's just a scenario. No one's asking for a time machine. Just a plausible idea.

Ideas to consider:

How much better does Bynum at safety make the Steelwrs than Watt?

Is a second first round pick in 2025 used on Dart?

Would Emmonwari be capable of being the foundation piece of a defense?

What assets would the team use to get a 3rd edge? Herbig assumes starters role; who is primary back-up?

Kick the first rounder into 2026; do they make a Godfather offer for Styles? Or is it Lemon and a OT?

It doesn't take long to Google contract data and draft results. What's your dream haul that creates a path to significant improvement?

 

I'm not sure a team would have offered a first-round pick to get Watt during the 2025 offseason if he were available, especially with the contract he was potentially going to get.

Not impossible, but unlikely because of his down 2024 season ... If it had been before, it would have been a different story, and two first-round picks wouldn't have been impossible, but nothing would have been guaranteed for last year... Maybe the Packers before they traded for Parsons?

This is fun to play GM sometimes and @Formerscribe love that like crazy but nobody know what was the other options at that time outside of the steelers

 

Of course no one knows and nothing is certain....but it is more fun than yelling "better" or "not better" for the 137th time on the same issue.

I think that Watt did and still does have value to the "right" team that figures they are one extra dose of something away from going to a SB. Draft picks are nice, but parades are cool, and banners fly forever. What that value is? I don't know.

For instance, if Watt was available tomorrow....does someone like the Bills figure they are maybe a TJ Watt patented forced fumble away from finally getting to where they want to go? Or do the Seahawks say...."I see your Myles Garrett and raise you a Watt brother..."

It could be fun to think about. But I do believe that Watt wouldn't start a bidding war....Steelers would likely get one legit offer and they would have to weigh whether a draft pick in the latter third of the first round or even the second round was more valuable than Watt is for the next 3 years.

 

I have addressed much of this in the past, including finding a third edge. Remember, dealing Watt clears a great deal of cap room, some of which could be dedicated to signing a veteran part timer/backup.

Most of what I could say is going to be hindsight. Yes, I do think the defense would have been drastically improved in 2025 and going forward with Emmanwori. Schwesinger would have been a good option, too, but safety safety was a huge problem last season and it could be again in 2026. Don't underestimate what a disaster safety was for the Steelers this past season.

That's the quick answer without much research. Give me Emmanwori for Watt straight up right now and I take that in a heartbeat.

 

I think that this is where we are going to see a much different coaching philosophy than we are used to watching. I don't mean this to turn into a bashing of previous unnamed coaches, but I think it becomes one anyway....

We have watched football for years, and believe that a coach has a system, and that personnel and play calling decisions are made to fit within that coach's system. I believe what we will be watching in 2026 is a system that will be designed around the strength of the existing components, not pigeon-holing players into a pre-designed framework. I believe we will see Mike McCarthy design a playbook - and he will instruct Patrick Graham to do the same - designed to get the most out of the talents of the players, and not to decide which players to plug into their system.

On O, the easiest way to see this will be to see the usage of both TEs, a tandem that is stronger than any McCarthy has worked with in his career, and usage of the RBs. On D it will be usage of the 3 edge guys. I can see Graham gameplanning all 3 on the field at once at times.

The best example I can think of in recent years was when they started using the jumbo package in the Vikings game, and stuck with it until injuries forced them to abandon. The difference is that the jumbo package was a reactive change - couldn't run the ball so have to try something. I think this staff will be proactive - currently designing to take advantage of their talents instead of waiting for failure first.

 

Yeah Your correct TDs are overated . LoL.