Seahawks' Sam Darnold Compared to Two Super Bowl-Winning Game Managers

Changing a narrative is often a difficult thing for any NFL player to do. Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Sam Darnold is a perfect example. Darnold signed with Seattle ahead of the 2025 season, and despite having plenty of success the previous year with the Minnesota Vikings, he was considered a downgrade from Geno Smith.

Darnold responded by putting together another fantastic season, helping Seattle to a 14-3 record, which was the same mark Minnesota had with Darnold as the starter in 2024. While he was unable to take the Vikings on a deep playoff run, Darnold was a steady leader for the Seahawks offense as they went on to capture the Super Bowl LX title in a win against the New England Patriots.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold celebrates on the podium after defeating the New England Patriots. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Including the playoffs, Darnold has 31 wins over the past two seasons. Most quarterbacks would be receiving plenty of praise for that type of success, but that's not the case here. Darnold is still seen as a game manager, evidenced by his spot in a recent SI.com NFL quarterback ranking. Matt Verderame has Darnold in the 17th spot and says that the quarterback was carried to the Super Bowl by his head coach and an excellent defense. He even compared him to two well-known game managers who won titles, Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer.

"Darnold is one of the rare quarterbacks who won a Super Bowl and yet wasn’t the driving force of his team. Much like Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer, in years gone by, he’s a respectable player who did enough to not crash a ship led by an excellent coach and a fantastic defense," Verderame wrote.

"That said, Darnold deserves credit. After throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns in Minnesota, Darnold signed with Seattle in free agency, threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns, and helped the Seahawks win their second Super Bowl. His finest moment came in the NFC title game, when Darnold passed for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a 31–27 triumph."

There's a lot of truth to the fact that Seattle's defense, as well as the performance of head coach Mike Macdonald, were the primary reasons for their success. That said, Darnold stepped up when needed, and he didn't exactly have a plethora of explosive players at his disposal. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a standout at receiver, but they didn't have a consistent No. 2, and Darnold helped tight end AJ Barner take his game to the next level.

Sam Darnold expects more from himself in 2026

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold stands in the pocket against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seattle took on the Patriots in the Super Bowl, a team led by another well-respected defensive head coach, Mike Vrabel. Their game plan made things tough on Darnold, as he completed 50 percent of his passing attempts for 202 yards with one touchdown pass. Donald should be praised for the fact that he didn't throw any interceptions during the entire postseason, but even with that being the case, he was unsatisfied with his performance.

Looking ahead of 2026, Darnold believes he can perform at an even higher level. That's a good sign for the Seahawks who hope they can find a way to repeat as champions. If he does lead them to another title, it would become increasingly tough to consider the narrative that he's nothing more than a game manager.

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