Sam Darnold Delivers, Puka Nacua Draws Heat After NFC Title Game Jab
In a season that’s seen its fair share of redemption arcs, few have been as compelling-or as unexpected-as Sam Darnold’s. Once written off after rocky stints with the Jets and Panthers, Darnold has found new life in Seattle, where he’s now quarterbacked the Seahawks to back-to-back 14-win seasons and, most recently, a trip to Super Bowl 60.
But while Darnold was busy carving up the Rams in the NFC Championship, not everyone was applauding.
After the Seahawks’ 31-27 win over Los Angeles, Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua stirred the pot with a quick-hit post on social media. It wasn’t elaborate-just Darnold’s name followed by a laughing emoji. But in today’s NFL, that’s more than enough to light a fire.
And it did.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones, a former teammate of Nacua’s during his time with the Rams, didn’t let it slide. He clapped back with a pointed reminder: “Ain’t you at home.
Goofy a**.” The message was clear-talking from the couch doesn’t hold much weight when the other guy just punched his ticket to the Super Bowl.
The tension comes on the heels of a game where Darnold wasn’t just good-he was clutch. In the NFC title matchup, he went 25-of-36 for 346 yards and three touchdowns, picking apart a Rams defense that had no answers for Seattle’s balanced attack. While his stat line in Sunday’s Super Bowl tune-up (19-of-38 for 202 yards and a touchdown) wasn’t as flashy, it was more than enough to keep the Seahawks rolling.
Seattle’s defense did the rest, overwhelming rookie quarterback Drake Maye with six sacks and holding the Patriots in check. Jason Myers chipped in 17 points of his own, showing once again how complete this Seahawks team has become.
For Darnold, the road to this moment hasn’t been easy. He was labeled a bust in New York, struggled to find rhythm in Carolina, and was largely written off before landing in San Francisco and eventually Seattle. But now, he’s the leader of a team that’s headed to its second Super Bowl title shot-and he’s done it with poise, precision, and a whole lot of perseverance.
As for Nacua, the Rams’ breakout wideout had a stellar season of his own, but his team came up short when it mattered most. And while the social media jab may have been meant in jest, it didn’t land well with those still in the fight.
The message from Seattle’s locker room is simple: Let the play do the talking. And right now, Sam Darnold’s play is speaking volumes.