Super Bowl 2026: Sam Darnold's rare redemption becomes one of the stories of Super Bowl LX

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Drake Maye hasn’t lived Sam Darnold’s journey. They were both third overall picks in their respective NFL Drafts. Maye went from promising rookie season to stardom in year two. Darnold was already on his way to being labeled a bust by the end of his second season.

Even though Maye doesn’t personally know what Darnold went through to reach Super Bowl LX, he has respect for the path the Seattle Seahawks quarterback took to get there.

“What a journey,” Maye said at Super Bowl Opening Night. “Obviously he got in a scenario where [the Jets] decided to move on, and from there on, he has battled not playing for years, being the backup, getting his chance and making the most of it. It’s been awesome to see.

“Such a great story, it’s what makes the league so special is stories like Sam that puts his head down, works hard and has turned into one of the best quarterbacks in the league.”

Even Darnold’s opposition at quarterback understands that he is one of the biggest stories of Super Bowl LX.

It’s not uncommon for players to be labeled as a bust and then turn their careers around as they develop. However, it is highly unusual for a quarterback to go from an early-career bust to a Super Bowl starting quarterback.

Darnold wasn’t even signed to be a sure starter by the Minnesota Vikings about 23 months ago. He was going to be a bridge quarterback to first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy got hurt, Darnold took over and had a good season, then he moved onto the Seahawks and led Seattle to a 14-3 regular-season record and an NFC championship. Even though Darnold’s Vikings were 14-3 last season and he played very well, nobody saw him taking Seattle to the Super Bowl in the first year of his three-year, $100.5 million deal.

Now he’ll start in Super Bowl LX and he’s just 28 years old. He still has plenty of time to add onto his unusual resume. How he fares on Sunday will go a long way in shaping his reputation, which wasn’t a positive one just a few years ago.

“I think you have to embrace failure, and learn from your mistakes,” Darnold said. “Learning from my mistakes early in my career has gotten me to this point.

“Every time you fail or you might lose a game or you might not do exactly what you want to do on every single play, you learn from that. If you learn from that, you can look ahead to better things.”

There were times in which it didn’t seem like there were better things ahead for him in the NFL. But to Darnold, that’s all part of the journey that brought him here.

Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks looks on during Super Bowl LX Opening Night. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

(Chris Graythen via Getty Images)

Sam Darnold’s rare path to the Super Bowl

Jim Plunkett is probably the best comparison to Darnold, among Super Bowl quarterbacks.

Plunkett was the first pick of the 1971 NFL Draft, didn’t work out with the Patriots, spent a couple of decent seasons with the 49ers before going to the Raiders, and in his second season with Oakland he took over as the starter. He ended up guiding the Raiders to two Super Bowl titles. Plunkett also had difficulty getting the credit of most Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks — he and Eli Manning the only players to start at QB in multiple Super Bowl wins and not be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, among eligible players — and Darnold faces that battle as well despite plenty of success with the Minnesota Vikings last season and the Seahawks this season.

Other quarterbacks have taken circuitous routes to being a Super Bowl starter. Terry Bradshaw had a shaky start to his career before winning four Super Bowls, but the Steelers stuck it out with him whereas Darnold is on his fifth team in eight seasons. Doug Williams was written off and well into his career when he won Super Bowl XXII MVP with Washington, but he did have success early in his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, unlike Darnold. Rich Gannon emerged late in his career to lead the Raiders to a Super Bowl but he was a fourth-round pick. Darnold was picked third overall.

There are stories similar to Darnold’s but not many. Darnold washed out with the Jets after they drafted him, things didn’t get better in his two seasons with the Panthers, then he was onto what looked like the backup phase of his career with the 49ers. Darnold got his break with McCarthy’s injury, and his teams are 30-7 including playoffs since.

Darnold doesn’t sound bitter about how the early part of his career played out. He’s able to be reflective, and understand that the hard times helped shape his career.

“I take every experience as its own, no matter what happens,” Darnold said. “I was really blessed to be able to get drafted to the Jets. Obviously, things didn’t work out the way that I wanted to there, and then I went to the Carolina Panthers, where I made a lot of great friends and learned really good football as well. Just part of my journey.

“Then I went to San Francisco and was able to be a backup there for a great player in Brock Purdy, learned from a great coach in Kyle Shanahan. … Then I went to Minnesota and again, I was with some really great coaches and really great players as well. Everything I do, I just take it one day at a time.”

Darnold back in a Super Bowl

Darnold was at the Super Bowl two years ago, but as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers. Every Super Bowl there are a few players who were drafted high and mostly forgotten about, but are on the end of a Super Bowl roster playing a lesser role.

NFL fans might not have noticed Darnold was on a Super Bowl team two years ago, but he’s front and center this time around.

Darnold spoke often about learning on his teammates this season, and not trying to do too much and make mistakes because he’s pressing. Even though Darnold has made the Super Bowl, he doesn’t have it all figured out.

“I’m always learning things about myself and how I can get better,” Darnold said.

Darnold can provide inspiration to plenty of players around the league, whose careers started slow due to any number of reasons. Darnold was persistent amid the criticism, learned things from a few different stops, finally got his break and is one win from joining a select and memorable group of starting quarterbacks who have a Super Bowl ring.

The story is remarkable, even if it’s not the one he envisioned years ago.

“I think a big part of that is the journey, right?” Darnold said. “I wouldn’t have predicted … I would have loved to get drafted to New York and that be my home for 20 years. But it just didn’t work out that way.

“Seattle, just from the get go, right when I got here, felt like home.”

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