The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the Super Bowl with a wave of momentum-and at the center of it all is Sam Darnold, a quarterback whose journey has been anything but conventional.
When Darnold landed in Seattle back in March, expectations were measured. He was a former top-three pick who hadn’t quite lived up to the hype in New York or Carolina. But fast forward to now, and he’s not just managing games-he’s helping lead a franchise to the biggest stage in football.
Darnold’s story started back in 2018, when the New York Jets selected him with the third overall pick. At the time, he was seen as the future of the franchise, a potential answer to the Jets’ long-standing quarterback woes.
But things didn’t pan out. Between coaching changes, roster turnover, and injuries, Darnold’s time in New York was rocky.
By 2021, the Jets had moved on, trading him to the Panthers.
Still, those early flashes of talent never completely faded. And now, years later, the quarterback who once struggled to find his footing is playing the best football of his career in Seattle.
Mike Maccagnan, the former Jets general manager who drafted Darnold, reflected on the QB’s resurgence following Seattle’s NFC Championship win over the Rams.
“I was always kind of sad that Sam wasn't able to fulfill that potential in New York,” Maccagnan said Monday. “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, and he had to go on his own journey to grow and develop in different places.”
There’s no bitterness in Maccagnan’s tone-just a sense of satisfaction that the player he once believed in is finally thriving. Maccagnan, who was let go by the Jets in 2019, acknowledged that while Darnold’s success isn’t about personal vindication, it’s still rewarding to see things come full circle.
“It makes me feel good that he's fulfilling his potential,” he said. “It’s not necessarily vindication.
In our business, when you see something, and it turns out the way you envisioned it, it makes you feel good. I think every scout probably feels that way.”
And that’s the heart of this story. It’s not just about Darnold proving doubters wrong-it’s about a quarterback finally finding the right fit, the right system, and the right moment to shine. As the Seahawks prepare to face the Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on February 8, Darnold’s resurgence is more than just a subplot-it’s one of the defining narratives of this Super Bowl run.
For Seattle, it’s a testament to their ability to identify talent and put players in positions to succeed. For Darnold, it’s a chance to rewrite his NFL story on the sport’s biggest stage.