For years, Sam Darnold was labeled a “draft bust.” Selected third overall by the New York Jets in 2018, the USC product was supposed to be a savior. Instead, after a turbulent rookie year, a bout with mononucleosis, and the infamous “seeing ghosts” game, he was eventually traded to the Carolina Panthers. After another disappointing run with a different team, Darnold would go on to be a backup for the San Francisco 49ers. The narrative was written: high talent, low composure, and a career destined for the sidelines.
However, in 2024, a funny thing happened on the way to football irrelevance, Darnold was given one last chance to start with the Minnesota Vikings and shined. While many viewed that 14-win season as a one-year fluke enabled by a great system, the Seattle Seahawks believed otherwise. By signing him to a three-year deal in 2025, the Seahawks took a calculated risk that has paid off in the most spectacular fashion, as Darnold led them to the top seed in the NFC and an appearance in Super Bowl LX. Darnold did not just replicate his 2024 success, he proved that his maturity, consistency, and ability to handle high-pressure moments in Seattle were completely legitimate.
From Bust to Super Bowl: How Sam Darnold Redefined His Career
The Turnaround: Proving 2024 Was No Fluke
When the Seahawks signed Darnold, skeptics suggested he would regress without Kevin O’Connell‘s system in Minnesota. Instead, under Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Darnold found an even better fit.
His 2025 season was statistically impressive, featuring over 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. While his raw passing yards were similar to 2024, his impact on the team’s success was undeniable and Seattle believed in him so much that they went and got him some receiving help at the trade deadline. He helped transform a solid 10-7 team in 2024 into a 14-3 powerhouse in 2025.
The key difference in Seattle was his ability to avoid the negative plays that previously derailed him. Despite a high-pressure environment in a competitive NFC West, Darnold improved his ability to avoid sacks, dropping his sack rate from 21.7 percent under pressure in 2024 to 15.4 percent in 2025. This efficiency allowed the Seahawks’ offense to stay on schedule and trust their quarterback in clutch situations.
The “Clutch” Factor
The most significant aspect of Darnold’s 2025 season, and what truly kills the “bust” label, was his poise in critical moments. In the 2025 NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, a game where the winner would reach the Super Bowl, Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions.
For a player once mocked for “seeing ghosts,” this performance was the ultimate redemption. Throughout the season, he demonstrated the ability to lead game-winning drives and command the offense in crunch time, turning critics into believers. Even when playing against his former team, the 49ers, he maintained his composure, ultimately securing a dominant playoff win.
A New Narrative
By leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl, Darnold has accomplished something that other quarterbacks from his 2018 class, such as Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen, have not yet. He is the first quarterback from the 2018 class to lead his team to the Super Bowl.
Darnold’s story is now one of resilience. He spent six seasons “flaming out” before proving he belonged as a top-tier NFL quarterback. His success in Seattle is a testament to finding the right environment, the right coaching staff, and having the mental fortitude to learn from past mistakes.
The bust label is gone. In its place is the reputation of a reliable, clutch, and talented starting quarterback who, after a long journey, is finally leading a team to the promised land. It appears that Seattle will be the favorites in the Super Bowl, so all eyes will be on Darnold to see if he can deliver one more clutch performance.
Main Image: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
