Sam Darnold took a long and winding path to the Super Bowl, and the veteran quarterback had a strong message for his Seattle Seahawks teammates.
Darnold led his team to a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams, sending the team to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. Speaking to the Fox broadcast crew after the game, Darnold passed on his own personal story to instead give credit to his teammates.
Sam Darnold Grateful for Teammates
Darnold had a stellar game in beating his divisional rivals, completing 25-of-36 passes with three touchdowns. He was sacked three times but avoided making any turnovers despite facing an aggressive Rams defense.
It was the culmination of a winding career for Darnold, who started out with the New York Jets as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Darnold failed to stick with the Jets, watching fellow 2018 picks Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson find more success despite being picked after him. He bounced around the league before landing with the Minnesota Vikings last year and being forced into the starting job when J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury.
Darnold led the team to 14 wins, but the Vikings decided to let him walk in free agency, leading to his signing with the Seahawks. Though the Seahawks took a chance that Darnold would replicate his career-best season, they also used a draft pick on Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who many expected to take over the starting job at some point during the season.
Darnold instead led his team to the Super Bowl, proving that his 2024 performance was no fluke. When asked about his unusual path to the Super Bowl on the field after Sunday’s game, Darnold seemed at a loss for words.
“I haven’t really thought about that much, to be honest with you,” Darnold said. “I just take it one day at a time.”
Darnold was more definitive when talking about his teammates, who pushed the Seahawks to the No. 1 overall seed before plowing a path through the NFC to the Super Bowl.
“To be able to do it with these guys out there, I wouldn’t want to do it with any other group,” Darnold said.
The Seahawks got strong contributions on both sides of the ball in Sunday’s win, leading with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 10 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown. Running back Kenneth Walker III had another touchdown while veteran receiver Cooper Kupp, playing against his former team, had four receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown of his own.
Sam Darnold Praises Teammates After Record-Setting Season
Darnold made some NFL history this season, becoming the first quarterback to lead two different teams to 14-win seasons in consecutive years.
When asked by Fox broadcaster Michael Strahan what he thought about his NFL record and new home, Darnold again deferred to thank his teammates.
“That doesn’t matter to me, I just come to work every single day with these guys,” Darnold said. “We came to work every day since April, one day at a time.”
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