Sam Darnold is headed to Super Bowl 60 - a sentence that would’ve sounded like a longshot just a few seasons ago.
Once written off after rocky stints with the Jets and Panthers, Darnold has flipped the script in his first year with the Seattle Seahawks. Now, he's not just back in the spotlight - he’s leading the NFL’s top-scoring offense into the biggest game of the year, with the Seahawks entering Sunday as the favorites against the New England Patriots.
It’s a remarkable chapter in a story that’s been anything but straightforward. Drafted No. 3 overall in 2018, Darnold was once seen as a franchise savior in New York.
But after a mix of coaching changes, inconsistency, and a lack of support, he found himself drifting into the dreaded "journeyman" category. That narrative is gone now.
With Seattle, he’s found stability, confidence, and perhaps most importantly - a system that plays to his strengths.
Now, with the bright lights of Levi’s Stadium awaiting, Darnold has a chance to make history. A win on Sunday would make him the first USC quarterback ever to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. He’d also become the first Seahawks quarterback to win it all since Russell Wilson led Seattle to glory over a decade ago.
The Quarterback Lineage in Seattle
Darnold becomes just the third quarterback in franchise history to guide the Seahawks to a Super Bowl. Before him, it was Matt Hasselbeck and Russell Wilson - two names etched into Seattle football lore.
- Super Bowl 40: Matt Hasselbeck led the Seahawks to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance in the 2005-06 season, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Super Bowl 48 & 49: Russell Wilson took over the reins nearly a decade later.
In Super Bowl 48, he delivered Seattle its first - and so far, only - championship. A year later, he had the Seahawks on the brink of back-to-back titles before a now-infamous interception at the 1-yard line sealed a loss to New England.
- Super Bowl 60: Now it’s Darnold’s turn.
Flashback: The Last Time Seattle Faced New England on the Super Bowl Stage
The last time the Seahawks and Patriots met in the Super Bowl, it was a thriller - and one that still stings for Seattle fans.
In Super Bowl 49, Russell Wilson had the Seahawks up 24-14 entering the fourth quarter. But Tom Brady, doing what Tom Brady does, engineered a comeback with touchdown passes to Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman.
And then came the moment that will live in NFL infamy: 2nd-and-goal from the 1-yard line, under a minute to play, and instead of handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch, Seattle opted to throw. Malcolm Butler jumped the slant route, intercepted Wilson, and the Patriots escaped with a 28-24 win.
That loss denied Seattle a shot at back-to-back titles - a feat only a few franchises have ever pulled off.
The One That Got Away - And the One They Got
Despite that heartbreak, Seattle does have one Super Bowl win to its name. That came in Super Bowl 48, when Wilson and the Seahawks dismantled Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, 43-8, in a game that was over almost as soon as it started.
Wilson was efficient and composed in that one, completing 18-of-25 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. But it was the defense - the Legion of Boom - that truly dominated, forcing turnovers and never letting Manning find a rhythm.
That 2013-14 team was a juggernaut, rolling through the playoffs with wins over the Saints and 49ers before capping it off with the most lopsided win in Super Bowl history.
Seahawks Super Bowl Snapshot
- Super Bowl Appearances: 4 (including Sunday’s matchup)
- Record: 1-2
- Wins: Super Bowl 48 vs. Broncos
- Losses: Super Bowl 40 vs. Steelers, Super Bowl 49 vs.
Patriots
Now, in their fourth trip to the big game, the Seahawks have a chance to even that record - and Darnold has a shot at redemption, legacy, and a place in Seattle sports history.
He’s gone from castoff to centerpiece, and on Sunday, he could complete one of the most unlikely quarterback turnarounds we’ve seen in years.