Every NFL player gets a finite number of opportunities to prove himself before he receives a “bust” label. For Sam Darnold, his path to redemption after early-career failures has given him more time, and now he is in Super Bowl LX. When NFL quarterbacks enter the NFL, there is an unspoken agreement that says they are only as good as the team that drafts them and that team’s culture.
That was true for Sam Darnold, whom the New York Jets drafted with the 3rd pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Predictably, Darnold struggled to lead a dysfunctional Jets team toward an organizational turnaround. Darnold left New York with the rumors that he was “seeing ghosts,” meaning he was anticipating taking hits from the opposing defense, and Darnold continued to struggle with the Panthers, leading many NFL experts to believe that Darnold’s NFL career was dead.
However, Darnold’s struggles in New York and Carolina set the stage for one of the NFL’s best redemption stories.
Darnold’s redemption story began when the Carolina Panthers cut him, and he became the San Francisco 49ers’ backup quarterback. While playing for the 49ers, Darnold had the opportunity to work with head coach Kyle Shanahan and outstanding quarterback coaches, which helped him refine his fundamentals and rebuild his confidence on the mental side of pro football. Those improvements opened the door for Darnold to be signed by the Minnesota Vikings for the 2024 season.
Sam Darnold Returns as a Starting Quarterback in The NFL
While playing for the Vikings, Darnold returned to the starting quarterback role in the NFL. This time, Darnold led Minnesota to a 14-win season, 4,300 passing yards, and 35 passing touchdowns. However, Darnold struggled during the Vikings’ last game of the 2024 season and then continued to struggle in the playoffs. Those performances brought back memories of Darnold’s previous failures, and Minnesota decided to move on from Darnold and start a new era with their 2024 NFL draft pick, J.J. McCarthy.
After being released by the Vikings, Darnold accepted a three-year contract for $105 million to be the starting quarterback for the Seahawks. This season, Darnold has silenced the critics by leading the Seahawks to the #1 seed in the NFC and taking advantage of that opportunity to reach the Super Bowl. Darnold’s stats this season show that he is an elite NFL quarterback with a 67.6% completion rate, 4,048 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 99.1. In addition, Darnold has learned to be a great locker-room leader by building strong relationships with his Seattle teammates.
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