Slayin' Ghosts: Seahawks' Sam Darnold Finally Shares Key to His Redemption Arc

In February 2015, the Seattle Seahawks lost 28-24 to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX after Russell Wilson's interception at the goal line.

Four years later, Sam Darnold, in just his second season in the NFL, said he was "seeing ghosts" in a four-interception, 33-0 loss to the Patriots. It hung with him throughout his career as he bounced to three other teams after the New York Jets before landing with the Seahawks.

It took another seven years, but eventually Darnold and the Seahawks united in one of the most unlikely marriages following the departure of Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and Geno Smith. The expectations of most of the national media were low.

Now, Darnold and the Seahawks beat the Patriots to become Super Bowl LX champions with a dominant 29-13 win.

“It’s special. I shared a great moment with my parents and my fiancée, Katie, and I think that’s what kind of got me a little bit,” Darnold explained after the game about his support system. “Me and my dad don’t really cry very often, and I told my dad, and my mom, I’m here because of their belief in me. They believed in me throughout my entire career, and I think that’s why I was able to believe in myself almost ad nauseam.

“Some people called me crazy throughout my career for believing in myself and having so much confidence, but it was because of my parents — because of the way that they believed in me throughout my entire career, and it allowed me to go out there and play free and have a ton of confidence.”

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks players celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Seahawks seemed far from a Super Bowl championship, and Darnold seemed like a long shot to be a championship-winning quarterback. But both came out on top after proving that the public opinion was invalid.

Darnold finished the regular season with a league-high 20 turnovers. The criticism returned. In the postseason, he completed 61.5% of his passes for 672 yards and five touchdowns in three games and didn't turn the ball over once.

And it wasn't easy. Seattle endured one of the toughest schedules through the regular and postseasons to reach the Super Bowl, going through a gauntlet of the NFC West that featured three teams with 12 or more wins in the regular season. They had to play three games against the other two playoff teams.

“I don’t think it’s really hit me yet, to be honest with you,” Darnold said. “But it’s special. And again, like I always say, it’s this group is why it’s special. The connection that all of us have as players, the love that we have for each other, the players, the coaches, really everybody in the building … the love that we share throughout the building is special. I’ve never been at a place like it.”

There isn't much else that this Seahawks team didn't prove. They are definitively the NFL's best team, and they are setup to be competitive for years to come.

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