Seahawks QB Sam Darnold winning Super Bowl LX MVP could be perfect end to redemption arc

Who thought Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold could be a Super Bowl MVP candidate?

The Seahawks face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (NBC/Peacock). As of Monday, FanDuel Sportsbook lists Darnold as the favorite to win the Pete Rozelle Trophy, the game's MVP (+115). Patriots QB Drake Maye, meanwhile, has the second-best odds (+230).

Winning a Super Bowl MVP would show how far Darnold has come over the past two seasons. 

Sam Darnold was considered a bust, but he has since changed that narrative

The New York Jets took former USC Trojans star Darnold with pick No. 3 in the 2018 NFL Draft. The QB flamed out in New York. In three seasons with the team, he went 13-25 as a starter, throwing 45 touchdown passes and 39 interceptions and posting a below-average 78.6 passer rating. New York dealt him to the Carolina Panthers after the 2020 season. 

"Man, if only New York had some patience with him," former Jets safety Jamal Adams told ESPN's Rich Cimini for a story published Sunday. "Like, he was the guy, man. He was gonna be The Guy. He just needed time."

Darnold didn't become the guy in Carolina, either. In two seasons with the franchise, he went 8-9 and tossed the same number of TD passes and interceptions (16). After a one-year stint as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings and began to show why he was a first-round pick. 

In 2024, he led Minnesota to a 14-3 regular-season record, tossing 35 TD passes in 17 games. He finished third in Comeback Player of the Year voting behind former Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (now with the Denver Broncos) and Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow. 

And yet, Minnesota still dumped him for second-year QB J.J. McCarthy (pick No. 10 of the 2024 draft). The Vikings now look foolish for doing so. Darnold guided the Seahawks to a 14-3 record in the regular season, joining former Patriots star Tom Brady as the only QBs in NFL history to win 14 or more games in consecutive seasons.