Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has been through many emotional ups and downs through his NFL career, and he couldn’t hold back after its pinnacle on Sunday.
Formerly considered a draft bust as a former No. 3 pick of the New York Jets, Darnold helped make the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run possible, which concluded with a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots. Darnold went and found two people who believed in him all along as many had written him off in previous failed stints with the Jets and Carolina Panthers.
“Me and my dad don’t really cry very often, and I told my dad and my mom, ‘I’m here because of their belief in me,’” Darnold told reporters afterward. “They believed in me throughout my entire career, and I think that’s why I was able to believe in myself almost ad nauseam.”
Darnold looked headed for a career as backup after the five years of stumbling in New York and Carolina. Then, he began a career turnaround with the San Francisco 49ers, right where his turnaround culminated with a Lombardi Trophy at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday in Santa Clara.
Sam Darnold Recognizes His Year With 49ers Amid Win
As much as the 49ers are heated rivals of the Seahawks, winning the Super Bowl on the Niners’ home field might not have been possible without Darnold’s career rehab in 2023 with the NFC West rival.
“It’s funny how it works,” Darnold said. “I didn’t play great football the first few years of my career. Then I come here to San Francisco, and I learned a ton. And I think because of that year in San Francisco, I was able to learn a ton.”
“Learn from Brock [Purdy] and coach [Kyle] Shanahan. And I was able to kind of learn and go to Minnesota and play good football there. I was able to come to Seattle and do the same,” Darnold added. “So, it’s funny how things work, but that’s life. I’m gonna continue to keep working.”
Darnold’s career really took off the following season with the Minnesota Vikings when J.J. McCarthy missed the season due to a meniscus tear. Darnold made the most of taking over as the starting quarterback with 4,319 yards and 35 touchdown passes, which led to his Seahawks contract of three years, $100.5 million in free agency for 2025.
Sam Darnold Didn’t Have To Do Everything
Darnold didn’t have to dominate with this Seahawks team, and that included the Week 18 win at Levi’s Stadium to clinch the NFC’s top seed and a turnover-free playoff run.
While Darnold flipped the script on being turnover prone for the final month of the season, the Seahawks beat everyone with elite defensive play and a strong running game. Darnold’s numbers in the Super Bowl were even pedestrian, but he was OK with that to a point afterward.
“I think it’s all about my journey,” Darnold said. “The reason that I’m here is because of my journey, because of the ups and downs, especially the downs that I went through early on in my career. I learned so much about myself, about football.”
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