Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Dan Orlovsky points to one trait that made Sam Darnold a champion

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Feb 9, 2026 11:31 AM ET

Once viewed as a draft bust and then as a quarterback who couldn't win big games, Sam Darnold is now a Super Bowl champion. Darnold capped off his fairytale season on Sunday by leading the Seattle Seahawks to a 29-13 win in Super Bowl LX.

And based on everything Darnold accomplished, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky is willing to throw an all-time label on a season that seems like a Disney movie.

"It's the greatest quarterback redemption story the NFL has ever seen," said Orlovsky when asked to put Darnold's last year in perspective on the Monday morning edition of ESPN's "Get Up."

Dan Orlovsky characterizes Sam Darnold as having "amnesia" in a good way

For Orlovsky, Darnold possesses one distinct trait that allowed him to conquer his NFL past, move on after being dumped by the Minnesota Vikings and even pivot to competing in a Cinderella-type campaign in his first year with the Seahawks.

"He's got what all great quarterbacks have - amnesia," Orlovsky said. "And I would tell that he plays with amnesia that few have. This is a young man that led the NFL in turnovers this year and then went into the postseason and didn't give the ball away. That hasn't happened since 2009 with Drew Brees. Great quarterbacks have amnesia. They never allow what just happened to impact what is going to happen next."

"It's the greatest quarterback redemption story the NFL has ever seen."

—@danorlovsky7 on Sam Darnold's road to winning the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/3M2d5iGqMX
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 9, 2026

Sam Darnold's magical season will go down in history

To put Darnold's storybook year in a historical context, he became the first starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl on his fifth team, further detailing his uncharacteristic path to get to this point.

Darnold didn't play his best in the actual Super Bowl — he completed only 19-of-38 passes for 202 yards with one touchdown pass. Seattle won thanks to defense and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III's legs.

Sam Darnold was carried by a great team

However, Darnold was lights out in the NFC Championship win over the Los Angeles Rams — he totaled 355 yards with three scores. He finished the postseason having completed 61.5 percent of his passes and threw for 672 yards and five touchdown passes with zero interceptions.

During the regular season, Darnold led the Seahawks to a 14-3 record and the top seed in the NFC. He posted a 67.7 percent completion clip, tossed for 4,048 yards and threw 25 touchdown passes, culminating in the individual recognition of being named to his second straight Pro Bowl, a game he failed to attend because he was busy cementing his legacy as a Super Bowl champion.

How can Darnold possibly top his 2025 season in 2026? Stay tuned because he will certainly try.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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