Darnold completed 20 of 28 pass attempts for 257 yards with both a TD and an INT while adding another 17 yards on the ground. He connected on four passes of at least 20 yards, including a 28-yard TD, all to his top WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Darnold finishes Week 7 ranked as the QB16 pending Monday Night Football.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Better Spot, Same Questions
Sunday marks Darnold's fifth straight game with an INT. His only INT-free game came in Week 1, when he left injured in the first quarter.
His 4.5% INT rate on the season is the highest among all QBs with at least 100 pass attempts this season. That’s a massive difference from the 2.9% INT rate he managed last season.
He’s offsetting that with a 4.5% pass TD rate, though it ranks 18th among QBs and still falls short of his 5.2% mark from last season.
Two factors could be playing a part in his first-half struggles: returning from a glute strain after only missing a game and playing with a new offensive coordinator.
A matchup with a Bears defense boosting QB points by 18.2% sets Darnold up well to get closer to last year's marks.
