The Moment Quarterback Sam Darnold Earned His NFL Respect

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is headed to Super Bowl LX after a thrilling 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game. The former USC Trojans star had what might have been his best game of his professional career.

Sam Darnold Lights Out in Seahawks' Win

USC Trojans Sam Darnold NFL Quarterback Super Bowl 60 Los Angeles Rams New England Patriots Jaxon Smith-Njigba NFC Champ — Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrates with the trophy on the podium after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Darnold was lights out against Rams. He went 25-of-36 passing for 346 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions, and the Seahawks needed every bit of it. On the other side of the ball, Rams quarterback Matthew ended the night going 22/35 passing for 374 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Heading into the playoffs, many questioned Darnold’s ability to rise up in big games, especially against a team he's struggled against in the past like the Rams. Darnold’s playoff record entering Sunday night’s game was 1-1, with a loss last season to the same rams in the wild-card round and a win over the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round in 2026.

Even after the Seahawks’ dominating 41-6 win over the 49ers in the divisional round, Darnold didn’t have to do much and there was never any game pressure in the second half. That was not the case against the Rams.

Darnold went toe-to-toe with Stafford, making high-level throws and not turning the ball over. Darnold's favorite target in the win was his favorite target all season, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigb, who hauled in 10 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown.

For Darnold, it was the most important game of his career. He showed that he is a franchise level quarterback that can lead a team to big-time playoff wins in the clutch, something that was doubted for his entire NFL career up to this point.

Darnold made throws all over the field. His best throw of the night may have been late in the first half with the Seahawks trailing 13-10. With the ball at his own 36, Darnold delivered a strike to Smith-Njigba for a 42 yard reception. A few plays later, Darnold connected again with Smith-Njigba for the go-ahead touchdown right before halftime.

DARNOLD DEEP TO JSN 🎯

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"I’m rolling with Sam all day. We believe in him. The building believes in him. The city believes in him. It’s awesome to run out onto the field with him," Smith-Njigba said to reporters after the game.

The Rams looked to take the lead back late in the fourth quarter, but the Seahawks defense tightened up in the red-zone, forcing a turnover on downs. This just about sealed the deal. The Rams got the ball back with 25 seconds left but were unable to get back in striking distance and the clock ran out.

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From USC to Seattle

Sam Darnold signed with the USC Trojans as a member of their 2015 recruiting class. In his time at USC from 2015-2017, Darnold threw for 7,229 yards and 57 touchdowns.

The most memorable USC game with Darnold is probably their epic 52-49 Rose Bowl win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2016 season. Darnold threw for 453 yards and five touchdowns in that game.

After the 2017 season with the Trojans, Darnold declared for the 2018 NFL Draft and was selected No. 3 overall by the New York Jets. It was a rough beginning to his NFL career. Darnold struggled mightily with the Jets and it led him to being traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021. His stint in Carolina went a little bit better, but Darnold was still not viewed as a reliable starting quarterback.

In 2023, he was the backup quarterback to Brock Purdy on the 49ers. This clearly helped Darnold’s development as he went to the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 and ended up starting the whole year after projected starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s season ending injury.

Darnold flourished in Minnesota, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record. The season ended on a sour note in the playoffs with Darnold having his worst performance of the year in the loss. The Vikings decided to move on from Darnold and he ended up signing with the Seahawks.

In 2025, Seattle went 14-3 in the regular season to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Darnold threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns. His overall record the past two seasons in a league best 30-7.

Through two playoff games this season, Darnold has elevated his game as opposed to 2024. He can capture his first Super Bowl win when the Seahawks take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Darnold will become the first USC quarterback to ever start in a Super Bowl.