Sam Darnold Sends Message to Jets Fans After Super Bowl Victory

After a breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, Sam Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to the No. 1 seed in the NFC. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to win 14 games and throw for 4,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. And while last year ended in disappointment with an early playoff exit, Darnold capped his Seattle debut with a championship.

Darnold demonstrated remarkable resilience during his journey from draft bust to Super Bowl champion. And he displayed an indefatigable belief in himself along the way. The Seahawks are the fifth NFL team Darnold has played for in his eight-year career. And after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, he had a message for fans of his first team.

“Thank you,” Darnold said to New York Jets fans who’ve continued to support him as he found success in the NFC, per Justin Fried of FanSided. “That’s all you can ask for as a player, is to feel supported. Especially by the team that drafted you,” he added.

“I always look at myself and feel like I could’ve done a lot more for that franchise when I was there. The fact that [Jets fans] are able to support me even through that means a lot.”

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Sam Darnold remains grateful for Jets fans' support

New York Jets fans root for Sam Darnold — New York Jets fans cheer for quarterback Sam Darnold during the second half against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. New York Jets fans | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Sunday, Darnold fulfilled the potential Jets fans dreamed of when the team selected him third overall in the 2018 draft. He just happened to fulfill it with a different organization.

Darnold endured a rocky rookie season as New York stumbled to a 4-12 finish in 2018. Interestingly, three future Seahawks Super Bowl champs were on that Jets team – Darnold, Leonard Williams and Jason Myers.

New York fired head coach Todd Bowles after the disappointing campaign and replaced him with Adam Gase. Darnold went on to have his best season as a Jet in 2019. He threw for 3,024 yards with 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 13 games, spurring an encouraging 7-9 record. But New York bottomed out the following year, finishing 2-14.

Gase was ousted following the disastrous 2020 season and Robert Saleh became the team's third head coach in a four-year span. The Jets secured the second overall pick courtesy of their 2-14 record. And New York decided to start over with Zach Wilson.

Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers for second- and fourth-round picks in 2022 and a sixth rounder in 2021. The Jets cut ties with the QB prior to his age-24 season. But Darnold would bounce back in a big way.

The veteran QB remains grateful to Jets fans who believed in him from the beginning. And he rewarded those fans by beating the Patriots in Super Bowl LX.

More NFL: Jets' Potential Cost to Keep Breece Hall Revealed