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Why Richard Sherman says Sam Darnold will bounce back from bad Rams game

Richard Sherman is confident that Darnold won't go on tilt just because he had one bad start against a team that's given him trouble in the past.
Tim Weaver|
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 22: Amazon Prime Video Thursday Night Football analyst Richard Sherman speaks prior to the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 22, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 22: Amazon Prime Video Thursday Night Football analyst Richard Sherman speaks prior to the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 22, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. | (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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Seattle Seahawks

Fans of the Seattle Seahawks will get treated to a lot of crowing from Sam Darnold haters this week, who will claim that all of their old priors about Darnold were confirmed by his awful performance against the LA Rams on Sunday.

Nevermind the fact that Darnold came into that game playing at an MVP level and this was the only truly bad start he's had all season.

In any case, smart folks know that Darnold won't be turning back into a pumpkin just because of one bad game. Here's what Seahawks legend Richard Sherman said about it on his most recent podcast.

Richard Sherman on Sam Darnold

Sherman is 100% right about the Minnesota Vikings, who made one of the biggest QB blunders in modern NFL history by letting Darnold walk last offseason. There is no guarantee that JJ McCarthy is going to work out at this level - and the early results have been pretty sobering regarding his ability.

Their loss is the Seahawks' gain, and they'll get to see a close-up look in two weeks when the Vikings come to visit in Week 13.

While this game may have bumped him out of the NFL MVP conversation, Darnold is still at worst a top-10 starter in this league right now. What he was early in his career with the Jets is irrelevant. This current version of Darnold is a great competitor who will have an occasional bad game, which is no different from any other high-level starter.

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Tim Weaver
TIM WEAVER

Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.