Sam Darnold Heads to the Super Bowl - and the Jets Are Left Watching Again
As Sam Darnold prepares to lead the Seattle Seahawks into Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots, the New York Jets find themselves in a familiar position - on the outside looking in. For a franchise still chasing stability under center, watching their former top-three pick thrive on the league’s biggest stage is a tough pill to swallow.
Darnold, drafted third overall by the Jets in 2018, was once seen as the face of the franchise. But after three rocky seasons in New York, he was traded to the Carolina Panthers. And while former Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan - the man who made the pick - wasn’t around when that decision was made, he’s made it clear he still wishes things had gone differently.
“My personal opinion: I would've liked to have seen him get a full opportunity there,” Maccagnan said in a recent interview. “But at the end of the day, I wasn't in that building... I was saddened to see them trade him.”
That sentiment hits harder now, with Darnold playing the best football of his career. Just over a week ago, he threw for 346 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in a 31-27 NFC Championship win over the Rams - the same Rams team that picked him off four times back in November. It’s been a rollercoaster season for Darnold, but the former Jet has found his footing at the right time.
And now, he’s not just in the Super Bowl - he’s the betting favorite to win MVP, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for a quarterback who, not long ago, was known more for “seeing ghosts” than seeing the field clearly. His early years in New York were marred by inconsistency, coaching changes, and a lack of stability around him. The flashes were there - the arm talent, the mobility, the poise - but the environment wasn’t.
That’s what makes this moment so bittersweet for the Jets. They believed in Darnold back in 2018.
Maccagnan and his staff saw a quarterback who could grow into a franchise cornerstone. And while that vision didn’t come to life in New York, it’s starting to take shape in Seattle.
“I was always kind of sad that Sam wasn't able to fulfill that potential in New York,” Maccagnan said. “That's where he started his journey, and, in an ideal world, he would've finished it there. But it wasn't meant to be.”
Now, as Darnold writes a new chapter in his career, the Jets are still searching for answers. Their 15-year playoff drought - the longest active streak across the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS - continues. And while the franchise has cycled through quarterbacks, coaches, and front office regimes, the one constant has been the struggle to find a long-term solution at the game’s most important position.
For Maccagnan, seeing Darnold thrive isn’t about vindication. It’s about seeing a player he believed in finally reach his potential.
“In our business, when you see something, and it turns out the way you envisioned it, it makes you feel good,” he said. “I think every scout probably feels that way.”
And for Jets fans? It’s complicated. There’s pride in seeing a former Jet succeed - and frustration in knowing it didn’t happen in green and white.