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Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon named Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold an "under-the-radar" MVP candidate for the 2026 NFL season.
Quarterback Sam Darnold continued to dispel his naysayers with the Seattle Seahawks last season. The signal-caller earned a second straight Pro Bowl nomination and led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title.
Darnold appears to still have some critics who want to see the quarterback have fewer turnovers this fall. But don’t count Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon among them.
On Friday, Gagnon named Darnold to his list of five “under-the-radar” candidates to win MVP during the 2026 NFL season.
“Still only 29 and with limited mileage, Darnold could be building up toward his best season yet,” wrote Gagnon. “He’s got plenty of support on both sides of the ball, and his confidence level could be sky-high coming off that Super Bowl run.
“The ingredients are there for a former top-three pick.”
Darnold has certainly done enough winning recently to be in the MVP conversation. Last season, he also completed 67.7% of his passes for 4,048 passing yards. Darnold threw 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as well.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb