Sam Darnold’s Super Bowl Moment: How Lessons from Brock Purdy Could Give the Seahawks an Edge
As the Seahawks gear up for Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium, a familiar storyline is making the rounds - that Sam Darnold is the first quarterback from the 2018 NFL Draft’s much-hyped first round to reach the Super Bowl. But Darnold himself was quick to set the record straight: this isn’t his first rodeo.
Back in February 2024, Darnold was on the Super Bowl stage with the San Francisco 49ers. He didn’t take a snap - Brock Purdy was the man under center - but Darnold was there, fully immersed in the preparation, shadowing Purdy throughout the week leading up to that overtime thriller against the Chiefs.
Now, two years later, Darnold’s not just along for the ride. He’s the starter, leading a surging Seattle team into a championship showdown with the New England Patriots. And while the stakes are higher, the spotlight brighter, and the pressure heavier, Darnold’s drawing on that 2024 experience - and on some well-timed wisdom from Purdy - to steady himself for the biggest game of his career.
Purdy’s Playbook for Super Bowl Week
Ask any quarterback who’s been there - Super Bowl week isn’t like anything else in football. It’s not just the game. It’s the media circus, the endless interviews, the off-field obligations that can derail even the most meticulous routines.
That’s where Purdy’s advice came in clutch.
“I think the biggest thing is just trying to keep the routine the same,” Darnold told reporters this week. “That was something I was able to ask Brock a little bit about during the process - like, ‘Are you feeling it?
Are you a little tired?’ And he said, ‘No, I just take it one step at a time.
Do the media, do all my obligations, but keep the routine the same.’”
It’s simple advice, but it hits home for a quarterback who’s been through the NFL wringer. Darnold’s journey from Jets castoff to Panthers stopgap to 49ers backup and now Seahawks starter has been anything but linear. But that winding path may be exactly what’s prepared him for this moment - and made him more receptive to the kind of steadying guidance Purdy offered.
Rest, Routine, and Reps
There’s another layer to Purdy’s advice that Darnold’s taken to heart: rest.
“I think the biggest thing, too, is early in the week - these last couple of days - I was able to get a lot of sleep,” Darnold said. “And I think that’s huge.”
It might sound like a small detail, but in the chaos of Super Bowl week, sleep can be a secret weapon. Between long media days and the mental grind of game prep, staying physically and mentally fresh is no easy feat. Darnold’s approach - carving out time for rest and sticking to his routine - shows a maturity that wasn’t always evident in his early years.
This isn’t the same Sam Darnold who entered the league with sky-high expectations and struggled to find his footing. This version is battle-tested, more self-aware, and surrounded by a Seahawks team that has quietly built something dangerous down the stretch.
From Backup to the Big Stage
Let’s be clear: Darnold hasn’t played in a Super Bowl before. But he’s been in the room, in the meetings, in the walkthroughs.
He’s seen what it takes to get to Sunday prepared. And in a game that often comes down to how well a quarterback handles the moment, that kind of experience - even as a backup - can be invaluable.
Now, he’s the one taking the snaps. The one leading the huddle. And maybe, just maybe, the one holding the Lombardi Trophy when the clock hits zero.
If that happens, there’s bound to be some mixed emotions in the Bay Area. After all, Darnold was a 49er not long ago. And if he ends up hoisting the trophy with Seattle - thanks in part to the advice of Brock Purdy - it’ll be a tough pill to swallow for Niners fans.
But for Darnold, it’s full circle. From first-round pick to backup to Super Bowl starter, he’s finally getting his shot. And with a little help from his old QB room, he just might make the most of it.