Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Reveals Biggest Turning Point of His Career

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has been through many ups and downs in his career, but he has been on the right path for the past two years.

Darnold recently appeared on "Green Light with Chris Long" to discuss what changed in his mental regimen that allowed him to go from backup to starter. He mentioned he spoke with a sports psychologist in Minnesota that gave him a new perspective on his career.

"At this point in your career, you've developed such a great base and a great foundation for your house. It's time to start painting the house, and using a brush means telling yourself you're really good and you deserve to be here. You start patting yourself on the back a little more," Darnold said.

"That was a weird unlock for me. I didn't know if it was the analogy or what, but it was like, "OK, yeah, I do deserve to be here. I've played really good football in the league. It may not have been as consistent as I would have liked, but mistakes happen, and my mistakes are going to happen, especially in this league."

Sam Darnold credits a sports psychologist for the mental “unlock” that helped him get to the next level pic.twitter.com/wOB8HxchyO
— Green Light with Chris Long (@greenlight) May 28, 2026

Darnold's Mental Breakthrough Led to Super Bowl Win

Darnold entered the league as the No. 3 overall pick out of USC in the 2018 NFL draft, chosen ahead of league MVPs Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. He did not live up to the high expectations. He threw double-digit interceptions in each of his first four seasons, which led to him being benched in the 2022 campaign.

Darnold signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, acting as Brock Purdy's backup. He then signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, where he was expected to back up rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who was the No. 10 overall pick in the draft that year. McCarthy suffered a knee injury during the offseason, which gave Darnold the opportunity to start once again.

He did not waste the opportunity.

Darnold went 14-3 as a starter with the Vikings, throwing 35 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He led Minnesota to the playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round.

Darnold's successful season with the Vikings ultimately led him to sign a three-year, $100 million contract with the Seahawks last offseason. Many thought he could have been a fluke with the Seahawks, but he proved his critics wrong. Darnold took the advice he received from the sports psychologist in Minnesota and used it to his benefit, becoming one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

Now that Darnold has the confidence of being a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, he should remain among the elite signal callers in the league as Seattle attempts to win its second title.

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