Who could have imagined that Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold would beat Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson to the Super Bowl? But his playoff gem Sunday should have silenced all doubters. However, there is one thing NFL folks got wrong about Darnold.
Darnold passed for 346 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in a hard-fought 31-27 win over the Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
When he first stepped into the NFL, at least one team believed he would be a franchise quarterback. The Jets selected him at No. 3 in the 2018 draft.
But even then, Darnold had plenty of question marks. However, what nobody in the NFL seemed to see was his ability to stand against criticism and keep improving.
Sam Darnold’s draft profile had plenty of holes
Sure, Darnold had the NFL size and arm strength, according to NFL.com.
“Darnold has NFL size, arm strength, accuracy, pocket mobility, poise, and field reading capability,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “His windup is an eyesore for sure, but he has the velocity to mitigate the additional release time. Darnold has the tools to thrive in any system and doesn't have to have perfect protection to succeed. His floor is solid starter, but he has the ceiling to be one of the top-tier quarterbacks in the game as he gains more experience.”
However, the weaknesses stood out.
“Elongated release is impossible to miss,” Zierlein wrote. “Ball drops to his waist with forearm pointed towards the ground, pre-delivery. Windup gives defenders early clue to break on the throw.”
Zierlien noted Darnold’s turnover issues. In 2017 with USC, Darnold had 13 interceptions and lost nine fumbles.
“Has a tendency to rush throws once internal clock winds down,” Zierlein wrote. “Too much mustard on some short throws. Muscles too many throws rather than driving with lower half. Too willing to throw from uneven platform. Took sacks when incompletions were available.”
However, Zierlein didn’t miss the one thing that got past NFL executives across the league.
“Darnold has the mental toughness and talent to start tomorrow,” Zierlein wrote.
Sam Darnold’s mental toughness grew through failure
In three years with the Jets, Darnold threw 48 touchdown passes with 39 interceptions. His record was 13-25. The Panthers employed him as an 11-game starter in 2021, and he went 4-7 with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
He surfaced again as a starter in 2024 with the Vikings and moved on to the Seahawks this season. And over these last two years, he went 28-6. He threw 60 touchdown passes with 26 interceptions. And he totaled 8,367 yards passing.
Wow. Where did the comeback come from? His mental toughness showed up in a big way, especially this season.
Yes, Darnold has overcome the odds, perhaps better than any other slow-starting quarterback. But the Seahawks saw only a winner. Give credit to Mike Macdonald and the organization for the bountiful offseason move to sign him.
Teammate Drew Lock said Darnold’s presence makes a difference, according to The Athletic.
“The Sam Darnold I know can go win any game he steps on the field,” said Lock, the Seahawks' backup quarterback. “That’s what I believe, that’s what this team believes, and that’s what matters. He got to go do it tonight and prove to others. But he didn’t need to prove it to anybody in this locker room. We knew he’d go out there and do it.”
And Darnold also learned to tune out the negatives and play football. He said he didn’t worry about silencing the critics.
“That doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “I just come to work every single day with these guys. These guys in the locker room, that’s what it’s about to me, man.”
Macdonald said it culminated in a tremendous NFC Championship effort.
“It should go down as one of the best performances in playoff history, I imagine,” coach Mike Macdonald said of Sunday’s performance, noting Darnold barely threw the ball in practice while managing an oblique injury he suffered 10 days earlier. “It’s hard to stack it, but I can’t imagine anyone playing any better.”
What about the Super Bowl?
How Darnold performs in the Super Bowl will matter. If he has a bad game and the Seahawks lose, the negative wolves will howl to their heart’s content.
But here’s the thing. Even if that happens, Darnold will likely get to the business of the 2027 season and try to run it back.
And he will carry one extra layer of mental toughness while still trying to improve, according to NBC Sports via a team transcript.
“I’m just going to continue to learn and grow in this great game,” Darnold said. “There is a lot of stuff that I can get better from today even. We’re always looking to get better. I’m always looking to get better.”
