From draft bust to Super Bowl: Seahawks QB Sam Darnold details NFL journey 

"Everything I do, I just take it one day at a time. And I think that's the mantra for myself and what I've been able to do over the last couple of years." 

Darnold's mentality is what helped him make the 2025 season about proving any doubters wrong. Before taking over as a starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, Darnold thought he had finally found his true NFL home during his remarkable comeback campaign in 2024.

With the Vikings, the former No. 3 overall pick, who entered the league facing tons of hype following his college career at USC, made his first Pro Bowl and led Minnesota to a 14-3 regular season record and subsequent playoff berth.   

Sam Darnold played admirably in his lone season with Vikings 

Darnold completed 66.2% of his passes, threw for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdown passes to only 12 picks. But he struggled down the stretch, most notably in a regular-season finale loss to the Detroit Lions that cost the Vikings the NFC North crown and then in a wild-card round loss to the Los Angeles Rams. 

Instead of investing in Darnold long-term, the Vikings decided to hand the keys to their 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy. 

Seattle has become Darnold's true NFL home 

Darnold then signed with the Seahawks, and the rest became history. He followed up his 2024 season with another Pro Bowl campaign in 2025, completing 67.7% and throwing for 4,048 yards.  

Most importantly, Darnold changed the narrative that surrounded his Minnesota exit. 

He proved he certainly can win big games, guiding the Seahawks to an NFC West title and then tossing for 470 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in two playoff wins that culminated in a conference championship.

While capping off his story, at least to this point, with a Super Bowl win would feel apropos, Darnold's career is already a remarkable lesson of believing in yourself no matter what happens, just as Darnold said himself.