For years, NFL fans and analysts talked about Sam Darnold as a bust.
The quarterback didn’t look good in his first couple of years in the league, struggling to establish himself with the New York Jets.
Now, after bouncing around the league, he’s finally living up to expectations.
Coming off a very successful campaign with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, Darnold has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league this season with the Seattle Seahawks.
Sam Darnold currently has the highest big-time throw rate (7.7%) and lowest turnover-worthy (1.1%) play rate of all starting QBs per PFF
good combo
— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) October 16, 2025
Darnold’s renaissance may have started before his time with Minnesota.
He showed glimpses of strong play during his brief tenure with the Carolina Panthers, and he even beat out Baker Mayfield for that starting job.
Then, he was the backup to Brock Purdy for the San Francisco 49ers, and those days with head coach Kyle Shanahan look to have worked wonders for him.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell then trusted him to lead his team after it lost J.J. McCarthy for the season, and it was evident that Darnold was a different quarterback than he was in New York.
That got him a very lucrative contract with the Seahawks, giving him a chance to run his own team as the unquestioned QB1 for the first time since his early days.
It just goes to prove that it’s never wise to give up on a struggling but talented quarterback.
Sometimes, they just need to land in the right spot to finally live up to their potential.
NEXT: Sam Darnold Gets Notable Recognition For Week 6 Performance
