SANTA CLARA, CA – "That was fun."
Those were the first words uttered bySam Darnold, who looked as if he'd barely broken a sweat, as he approached his postgame riser Sunday evening,the Seattle Seahawks quarterback a Super Bowl championfor the first time in his singular eight-year career afterhis team's 29-13 beatdownof theNew England Patriots.
Couldn't have been much fun for the New York Jets. Or Carolina Panthers. Or Minnesota Vikings. Those NFL franchises have all had Darnold on their roster at some point during his peripatetic career but don't now. Those clubs have also combined for zero Lombardi Trophies since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger … and will carry that collective doughnut for another year while Darnold, now a two-time Pro Bowler, is fitted for his first ring.
Sunday also couldn't have been all that much fun for Baker Mayfield. Or Josh Allen. Or Lamar Jackson. Like Darnold, they were all first-round drafts picks in 2018. Unlike Darnold, who was also a member of the San Francisco 49ers when they were NFC champions in 2023, that trio has combined to win three league MVP awards … while making zero Super Sunday appearances.
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"I didn't not believe that I would be (the first 2018 QB champion)," Darnold smiled. "It's special, man. And it's not about that – to me, it's never been about that. I'm just doing the best that I can. Because, every single day, I want to be the best quarterback for theSeattle Seahawks– that's really what it comes down to."
Mission basically accomplished.
Darnold didn't exactly deliver a signature performance Sunday, completing half of his 38 throws for 202 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown strike to tight end AJ Barner that broke the game open in the fourth quarter.
Yet Darnold also bucked his early career reputation for carelessness with the ball that carried over from his time at USC – instead protecting the pigskin, not committing a turnover (he didn't have one in the playoffs after leading the NFL with 20 in the regular season) and only taking one sack. Meanwhile, his New England counterpart, Drake Maye – an MVP finalist in 2025 – had three giveaways while getting bagged six times by Seattle's swarming defense, not that Maye could be blamed for the constant jailbreaks he faced.
"I didn't have my best stuff today, but the team had my back – our defense and special teams," said Darnold, whose unspectacular performance was perfectly sufficient for a Seattle juggernaut that didn't need anything more from him.
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"We just played how we always play, we were resilient and we came out on top. So, it was pretty special."
Yet his success was also special for Seahawks players who have universally come to adore their quarterback even though he hasn't been on the roster for even 11 months.
"Unbelievable story. I don't think there's a quarterback in NFL history that's done what he's done – to go through the things that he's had to go through," saidwide receiver Cooper Kupp. "To believe in himself, to overcome everyone that told him that he wasn't that guy anymore, that he couldn't be a starter.
"I'm so thankful I got to know who Sam Darnold is as a person, because it explains everything that's happened in his career."
Added kicker Jason Myers, a teammate of Darnold during his rookie year with the Jets: "He's just one of the guys, he's just great in the locker room. I knew he'd fit in right away when we signed him here."
And with two years left on his contract and a loaded team at his back, perhaps this only the beginning of Darnold's dominant era.
"I don't think it's really hit me yet, to be honest with you," Darnold said of his career-defining moment to date.
"But it's special – this group is why it's special, the connection all of us have as players, the love that we have for each other."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Seahawks' Sam Darnold: From Jets castoff to Super Bowl 60 champion
