San Francisco 49ers fans are still reeling from a postseason that started with promise and ended in heartbreak-and salt in the wound came three weeks later, when their fiercest rival hoisted the Lombardi Trophy right in their backyard.
The Wild Card win over the Eagles offered a brief high. But that momentum came to a screeching halt in the Divisional Round, where the 49ers were knocked out in humbling fashion by the Seattle Seahawks. Then came Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium, where the Seahawks didn’t just win-they dominated the New England Patriots, 29-13, in a game that felt like a gut punch to the Faithful watching from the stands of their own house.
But amid the sting, there’s at least one silver lining-however small-for 49ers fans. It comes in the form of a familiar face: Sam Darnold.
Yes, that Sam Darnold. The former No. 3 overall pick who once looked like a cautionary tale of unmet expectations.
The quarterback who spent the 2023 season as a backup in San Francisco, soaking up knowledge behind Brock Purdy and under the guidance of Kyle Shanahan. Fast forward to now, and Darnold is a Super Bowl champion, having led Seattle to the title with a steady, composed performance-202 yards passing, a touchdown, and no turnovers.
It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t record-breaking.
But it was the kind of clean, efficient football that wins championships. And after the game, Darnold made it clear just how pivotal that season with the Niners was in reshaping his career.
“It’s funny how it works,” Darnold said at the postgame podium. “I didn’t play great football the first few years of my career.
Then I come here to San Francisco and I learned a ton. Learn from Brock [Purdy] and coach [Kyle] Shanahan.
And I was able to kind of learn and go to Minnesota and play good football there. I was able to come to Seattle and do the same.”
He paused. Smiled.
“So, it’s funny how things work, but that’s life. I’m gonna continue to keep working.”
For a player who flamed out with both the Jets and Panthers, Darnold’s resurgence has been one of the more surprising storylines of the last two seasons. After signing a one-year deal with the 49ers in 2023, he saw limited action on the field but made the most of his time in the quarterback room. By his own admission, that season was a turning point-an education in how to play winning football.
And now, with back-to-back successful seasons-first in Minnesota, now in Seattle-Darnold has gone from a former top pick on the brink of fading out of the league to a Super Bowl-winning starter.
That won’t do much to ease the pain for 49ers fans still grappling with another missed opportunity and the sight of their NFC West rivals celebrating on their home turf. But there’s something to be said for the fact that a player who once wore red and gold is now tipping his cap to the organization that helped him find his footing.
Darnold’s journey isn’t just a redemption arc-it’s a testament to the value of a strong system, a smart coaching staff, and a quarterback room that fosters growth. And while the 49ers didn’t get the ending they wanted this season, they played a quiet but crucial role in shaping the one that Darnold-and the Seahawks-just lived out.