If you had asked any NFL fan or analyst before this season which quarterback they thought was going to win the Super Bowl, no one would’ve said Sam Darnold. Even with a strong Seahawks defense and a promising head coach, Darnold has never come close to the list of ‘elite’ quarterbacks. If anything, he’d been written off as a disappointment for most of his career, so most predictions were filled with the usual names: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and more. Yet on February 8, 2026, the Seattle Seahawks triumphed over the New England Patriots, and Sam Darnold won his first ring. So how did a player go from being considered a draft bust to a Super Bowl-winning quarterback?
Pre-Draft Darnold
To understand his career path, we have to start at the beginning. Born in Dana Point, California, Sam Darnold attended high school in San Clemente before signing with the USC football team in 2015. While he didn’t play his freshman year (what’s called ‘redshirting’ in college sports), he eventually won the starting quarterback role and led the Trojans to a PAC-12 championship and a New Year’s Six Bowl. Entering the NFL draft, he was viewed as a promising prospect, hence why he was drafted by the New York Jets third overall in 2018.
NFL Entry, Jets Disappointment and Life as a Journeyman
Now this is where the story starts to go downhill. If you know anything about the NFL, you’ll know that the Jets are not known as a winning franchise. In fact, they hadn’t made it into the playoffs since 2010 and had spent many seasons at the bottom of their division. Enter Sam Darnold, the supposed savior of their organization: a quarterback that could revitalize the franchise and lead them to the promised land! Except, as tends to be the case with the Jets, it all blew up quite quickly. Darnold did not spring into action as a leading quarterback with pristine stats. Instead, his play was riddled with errors, inconsistencies and injuries — all of which were worsened by a lack of support from his surrounding team. After three seasons of issues, the Jets were ready to walk away and Darnold was written off as another draft bust.
Three years into his NFL career, Darnold found himself a journeyman. In 2021, he was traded to the Carolina Panthers (not particularly known for their winning capabilities either) to take up a starting role. Over the course of two seasons, he went 8-9 as a starter, having been benched throughout the period, and threw 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions — a disappointing ratio, to put it lightly. By 2023, the Panthers were ready to move on as well, and the league seemed ready to accept that Darnold was destined for the journeyman lifestyle, most likely in a backup role.
As a backup, he was actually quite fortunate. In 2023, he signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers — finally, a successful, competent and respected franchise — to be a backup for their starting quarterback, Brock Purdy. While there he was able to learn from head coach, Kyle Shanahan, who runs one of the most QB-friendly systems in the league. Darnold only started one game with the 49ers: a 16-26 loss to the LA Rams in Week 18, but was a solid backup choice and was able to benefit from a stable franchise with an excellent cast of supporting characters.
The Rebirth of Sam Darnold
That experience led to an opportunity to start again in 2024 — this time with the Minnesota Vikings. The midwestern team had just drafted prospect JJ McCarthy out of Michigan to be their future franchise QB, but Darnold was brought in on a one-year contract to compete with the rookie for the starting spot. After suffering a knee injury in the preseason, McCarthy was ruled out for the year and Darnold automatically inherited the starting position. This is where it all changed. With a lethal defense led by DC Brian Flores and offensive support from WR Justin Jefferson and HC Kevin O’Connell, the former Jets QB posted career high numbers. The Vikings finished the season with a 14-3 record and playoff berth while Darnold was named to the Pro Bowl. Yet all was not meant to be. After a duo of terrible performances in Week 18 and the Wild Card round of the playoffs, and with JJ McCarthy set to return from injury for the 2025 season, the Vikings declined to renew Darnold’s contract, leaving him a free agent heading into the summer.
But the flash of his potential did not go ignored and he was soon signed to a multi-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Replacing former Seahawks QB Geno Smith, Darnold found himself paired with OC Klint Kubiak, a vicious defense coached by HC Mike MacDonald, and multiple offensive talents, including WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN) and running back pair Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. Now, some may have predicted that this favorable environment would result in a high standard of play, but few claimed the effect would be to such an extent. In the 2025 season, Sam Darnold threw for 4048 yards and 25 touchdowns, was statistically one of the league’s most efficient throwers, and finished again with a 14-3 record and Pro Bowl selection. Paired with JSN, the most productive WR of the season, the Seahawks offense was difficult to beat…and any shortcomings were covered by the defense nicknamed ‘the Dark Side.’
Super Bowl Redemption
The road to the Super Bowl was not an easy one, having to face the 49ers and the Rams after a Wild Card Weekend bye, but consistency on both sides of the ball led to domination and success. As Darnold advanced, many waited in the wings for him to falter. Many predicted he would succumb to the pressure of the limelight and repeat his disappointing performances at the end of the 2024 season. But the misstep never happened: Darnold stayed the course, supported by the entire Seattle team and coach staff on both sides of the ball, and won Super Bowl LX 29-13 against the upstart Patriots.
Sam Darnold’s career path has not been straightforward and has not always been filled with success. His time in the NFL has been riddled with disappointment and uncertainty, but also with flashes of talent, grit and surprise. His story is one of resilience: a player who refused to give up on himself even when others did. His determination and perseverance were key to his eventual success, and we can each learn from his experience. One’s career path is not always linear and is unlikely to be a smooth journey, but with some self-belief and hard work, those distant goals appear within reach.
Football Short-hand Guide
- QB = quarterback
- HC = head coach
- DC = defensive coordinator
- OC = offensive coordinator
- WR = wide receiver