The Secret to Sam Darnold's Resurgence

Sam Darnold was widely considered one of the biggest busts in the NFL after being selected 3rd overall by the Jets in 2018 and having 3 very underwhelming seasons, totalling only 13 wins in his tenure there. But now he has had back to back 14 win seasons and just won a Super Bowl in his first year as a Seahawk. But how exactly did he get so good after seemingly being given up on?

Just as many other infamous quarterback "busts", Sam Darnold was drafted into a poor situation and was expected to completely flip his team around. He dealt with a mediocre to poor offensive line and never truly had a WR1 in his Jets journey, which was a major reason for his underperformance. He was then shipped off to the Panthers for a collection of day 2 and 3 draft picks. His play did not improve as he was once again forced into a poor situation with minimal help. So when exactly did he flip the switch?

Well, after his stint in Carolina proved unsuccessful, he was once again moved. He signed to the 49ers in 2023 as a free agent to back up Brock Purdy. While this may not seem significant, this was the turning point of his career. People usually would see becoming a backup the end of a quarterback's career, but as of recently, it has proved to be the opposite. Being able to sit behind an elite quarterback like Brock Purdy and learn from one of the best head coaches in Kyle Shanahan really developed Darnold's game, even though he wasn't able to show it yet.

This brings us to 2024, when he signed as a free agent for the Vikings. Earlier in the draft in April, the Vikings selected JJ McCarthy with the 9th overall pick so many fans thought he would be the starter and Darnold was only brought in to back him up. However, Darnold ended up winning the quarterback battle in training camp, putting him as the #1 on the depth chart for the start of the season. However, there was still speculation as fans thought he would just serve as a "bridge" quarterback to help McCarthy develop until he was ready to take over half way through the season. But when McCarthy tore his meniscus in preseason and was ruled out for the season, all eyes were on Darnold as he was solidified as the starter for the entire year. Many fans had lost hope due to the fact that they had a "bust" starting at their quarterback and he would hold back the potential of some of the brightest stars of that team, like Justin Jefferson. But Darnold proved the haters wrong by doing exactly the opposite. He started off hot winning 5 in a row which completely shifted viewer's perspectives on him to a comeback story. He looked efficient and comfortable now that he was finally in a good system. The vikings finished the season 14-3 earning the 5 seed in the NFC. They went to play the rams in the wild card but lost badly after a poor performance from darnold. So despite the all the good narratives he had going for him all season, Darnold was labeled as unable to play well in the important games

due to his 2 losses in the last 2, most important games of the season. This ultimately led to the Vikings choosing not to resign him and continue with JJ McCarthy for the future.

This brings us to the past offseason where Darnold was signed to the Seahawks after they had just traded their QB, Geno Smith, to the Raiders. The Seahawks had been mediocre ever since the Russell Wilson trade, with their furthest run being a 1st round exit. Seemingly, they were in rebuild mode which led to fans questioning why they signed Darnold instead of drafting a young QB. These questions were answered by Darnold to say the least.

There were many factors that made Darnold's run in Seattle different than all his others. Firstly being the hiring of OC Klint Kubiak. Kubiak's scheme allowed Darnold to unlock his potential through creative calls, like lining up a WR in the backfield. Speaking of WRs, the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba as one of, if not the best, recievers in the league significantly boosted Darnold's play. With that along with a refined O-Line and elite defense, the Seahawks were able to win the Super Bowl with ease. While Darnold did struggle a bit with turnovers in the regular season, he was perfect in the post season, beating all "regular season merchant" allegations that he previously had.

So in summary what actually led to his success? Well, no one ever saw him play up to his potential in his early years so he was significantly underestimated to begin with. Additionally, his time sitting as a backup allowed him to learn about the game and refine it without the risk of making mistakes. Then finally, after he had developed enough, he was able to be unleashed in a good system like Minnesota, which proved his worthiness to Seattle, ultimately giving him a world championship.