Richard Sherman gives brutal explanation for snubbing Sam Darnold on live TV
Richard Sherman gives brutal explanation for snubbing Sam Darnold on live TV
Jeremy Goldstein Fri, October 16, 2026 at 8:20 AM UTC
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Richard Sherman snubbed Sam Darnold on TNF (Image: Getty Images)
Richard Sherman sparked controversy among Seattle Seahawks supporters when he joined division rivals the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, following a distinguished stint in the Pacific Northwest.
Working with the Amazon Prime Video broadcast team alongside veteran commentator Al Michaels - who has faced criticism - for Thursday night's Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos matchup, the former NFL defensive back once again provoked Seattle fans by deliberately avoiding Super Bowl-winning quarterback Sam Darnold before kickoff.
Amazon's cameras captured Sherman embracing several Seattle players and front office personnel, including long-serving general manager John Schneider. The ex-Seahawks cornerback made it clear he intentionally skipped the team's signal-caller.
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"Sam Darnold [has] got to earn a hug at this point,'' Sherman said.
Darnold exited Seattle's Week 1 win against the New England Patriots with a glute/hip injury. He made his comeback in Week 3 but faltered, posting a 1-2 record across his three starts heading into Thursday's Denver contest.
Darnold is having a tough season (Image: Getty Images)
His 34.4 QBR placed him 29th league-wide. His 7-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio represents a significant decline from his 25-14 performance the previous season. Darnold absorbed five sacks during last week's clash with the San Francisco 49ers and was brought down five additional times in regulation versus the Broncos.
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Notably, Seattle's 2025 offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, leveraged his championship-winning offense to secure the head coaching position with the Las Vegas Raiders.
His successor, Brian Fleury, has encountered difficulties managing the 2026 squad. One notable distinction for Darnold in 2026 compared to the previous year was the caliber of the offensive line, which has retained a nearly identical roster of players.
Despite this, Darnold is holding onto the ball for 3.25 seconds before throwing in 2026, the longest mark among all qualified quarterbacks. That figure sat at a roughly league-average mark of 2.86 seconds last season.
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp came to the defense of his embattled quarterback midweek. "It's an elite trait of his to stay steady through the highs and lows of life, football, or a single play," Kupp shared.
"His steadiness is an incredible trait, and it gives us supreme belief in him when he steps into the huddle with a next-play mindset and great energy."
Sherman shared no former teammates with any current Seahawks players; the longest-serving Seattle player is punter Michael Dickson, selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Seahawks picked Sherman in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, and he secured the first of three back-to-back First-team All-Pro selections in his sophomore season.
Source: “AOL Sports”
