Sam Darnold will play in a Super Bowl before Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and the rest of the NFL’s Class of 2018 quarterbacks.
It took Darnold five teams and eight seasons to get here. Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to a 14-3 record, a division title, first place in the NFC and was at his best in the NFC championship game. Despite an oblique injury, Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in Seattle’s 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. He completed 25 of 36 passes and had no turnovers. “He just silenced a lot of people. I’m really happy for him,” said Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald. Labeled a bust early in his career, Darnold still raised eyebrows among critics after his impressive turnaround. Now, he is one victory away from lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Seahawks are 4.5-point favorites over the New England Patriots at BetMGM Sportsbook. Darnold was selected third overall by the New York Jets in 2018. Baker Mayfield went first to the Cleveland Browns. Allen went to the Buffalo Bills at the seventh position. Josh Rosen was picked 10th by the Arizona Cardinals. The Baltimore Ravens selected Jackson with the final pick of the first round at No. 32. Jackson has won two AP NFL Most Valuable Player awards and has an 0-1 record in the AFC Championship Game. Allen is the reigning League MVP and lost twice to the Chiefs in the AL title game. Mayfield led the Browns to their only playoff victory this century and has won two division titles and a playoff game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the fourth team of his career. Rosen was traded to Arizona after going 3-10 as a rookie and is out of the NFL after starting just three more games. Darnold’s success does not make others failures. Football is a team sport and there are several reasons why Allen, Jackson and Mayfield have not found success. Both Allen and Jackson saw their coaches fired this month because their teams failed to meet expectations. Darnold’s story is about perseverance and redemption. It is another clear example of why coaching matters. Darnold struggled mightily over three seasons with the Jets playing for coaches Todd Bowles and Adam Gase, and offensive coordinators Jeremy Bates and Dowell Loggains. His 78.2 passer rating during that time was third-worst among 53 quarterbacks with at least 500 attempts. Darnold went to Carolina and played two seasons for coaches Matt Rhule and Steve Wilks, and coordinators Jeff Nixon, Joe Brady and Ben McAdoo. None of them were able to unlock their potential. He didn’t have the right advice or supporting cast, and his teams lacked stability. He then spent a season with Kyle Shanahan and assistants Klint and Klay Kubiak in San Francisco in 2023. Darnold backed up Brock Purdy on a 49ers team that reached the Super Bowl. He had the opportunity to observe, learn and study in an environment that fostered growth. Shanahan praised Darnold’s arm talent, his ability to read defenses and execute the offensive scheme. Darnold went to Minnesota and thrived under coach Kevin O’Connell. He had a breakthrough season in 2024, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns while having a 102.5 passer rating and leading the Vikings to 14 wins. But Minnesota elected to stick with JJ McCarthy, whose injury opened the door for Darnold to play and flourish. Based on his success with the Vikings, the Seahawks gave Darnold a three-year, $100.5 million contract to replace Geno Smith.
GET TO KNOW HIM
Sam Darnold
- Date of birth: June 5, 1997
- Age: 28 years
- Birthplace: Dana Point, California
- Height: 1.91 m
- Weight: 102kg
- School: USC (2015–2017)
- 2018 NFL Draft: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Equipment:
- New York Jets (2018-2020)
- Carolina Panthers (2021-2022)
- San Francisco 49ers (2023)
- Minnesota Vikings (2024)
- Seattle Seahawks (2025-present)
