Sam Darnold’s Redemption Arc Complete After Defeating Patriots In Super Bowl LX

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by Matthew MendivesFebruary 9, 2026, 9:18 pm >

A man who was written off by the league has completed his two-year redemption arc with a Super Bowl LX victory.

Sam Darnold threw for 202 yards and a touchdown against the New England Patriots. A team that had once given him trouble became the team he defeated to become a Super Bowl champion.

On October 21, 2019, his team, the New York Jets, took on the Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Darnold threw no touchdowns and four interceptions. After the game, Darnold admitted that the Patriots’ defense had him “seeing ghosts.”

In the 2021 offseason, the Jets decided to pull the plug on the Darnold experiment. He played for the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers as a backup quarterback. Darnold was on the 49ers team that reached the Super Bowl in 2023.

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In the 2024 offseason, Darnold was signed by the Minnesota Vikings. He was once again expected to be in a backup role. However, J.J. McCarthy was injured during the preseason, forcing Darnold into the starting role.

Darnold went 14-3 with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He made his first career Pro Bowl appearance. His Vikings lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, where he threw one touchdown and one interception.

Darnold signed a three-year, $100 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 offseason. His teammate Justin Jefferson later said the Vikings would’ve been better with Darnold at QB this season.

Darnold had five touchdowns and 0 interceptions during the playoffs this season. His best game was the conference championship against the Rams, where he threw three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Darnold’s contract was very back-loaded. His cap hit in 2025 was just $13 million. Meanwhile, in 2026, he will have a $37.9 million cap hit. The Seahawks are projected to have $73 million in cap space this offseason.