Sam Darnold was merely 20 years old when he first faced the rowdy crowd of New York City. In his three years with the New York Jets, he was mocked many times (remember his seeing ghosts moment?) But neither the Jets nor the Carolina Panthers, the San Francisco 49ers, nor the Minnesota Vikings stopped making over the next few years, stuck with him for the long run.

That was until the Seattle Seahawks came into the picture, and former NFL player Jason Garrett couldn’t have been happier. “Left for d–d,” Garrett commented on Darnold’s early NFL career in a conversation with the New York Post. “Go to Carolina. Bad team. Left for dead there.

“And then this rebuilding. But it’s not rebuilding with bitterness and ‘I told you so,’ and all the other stuff, it’s just like with joy.”

That’s the reason Garrett, who is an NBC Sports NFL and ‘Football Night in America’ analyst, sat down with the QB on a quiet Sunday night to understand his perspective. He wanted a closer look at Darnold’s boyishness, enthusiasm, and that twinkle of positivity that Seattle’s fans love. 

In turn, Darnold revealed that he used those early scars as a stepping stone towards something better. And that is very true. While the first three teams didn’t provide many developmental opportunities for him, it was the Vikings who supported him last season. He resurrected his career after signing a one-year contract with the Vikings and eventually led Minnesota to 14 wins, while throwing for career highs of 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. And now, he is with Seattle, which has a fanbase that adores him.

However, it was the seven years he spent shuttling from team to team that helped him lead the Seattle Seahawks‘ offense. He learned from his mistakes and continuously developed as a leader. But there was one problem. As a self-described introvert, he found it difficult to keep up the traditional image of how a quarterback was supposed to lead during his rookie year.

That’s when veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was in camp with Darnold in 2018, gave him some advice he keeps close to his heart: be yourself.

And that’s how he projected the image of a cool, calm, and collected leader—something that goes in line with Garrett’s observation of Darnold not harboring bitterness. It looks like his entire focus is on the current season. So far, he has recorded 16 touchdowns and 5 interceptions this season, along with a completion rate of 70.4.

He looks good, and many have taken notice.

Sports media personality Colin Cowherd praised Sam Darnold for his performance

Darnold replaced quarterback Geno Smith for the Seahawks. And it’s safe to say there are no doubts about that decision. After the 38-14 win against the Commanders, he is now firmly in the MVP conversation. Even Colin Cowherd doesn’t want to miss out on making a prediction, calling the QB one of the best in the league.

“If you’re talking today, this second, Sam Darnold is the best quarterback in the NFL. It is unbelievable.”

And it’s not just Cowherd. Last month, sportswriter Bill Barnwell also had massive praise for the QB. After his impressive start for the Seahawks, he praised Seattle for trusting Darnold.

“Darnold is coming off his worst start of the season, but he leads the league in yards per attempt (9.1) and is sixth in the NFL in QBR (73.2).”

The offense has impressed people, and so has the defense. Now, the team will shift its focus towards Week 10’s clash against the Arizona Cardinals. The Seattle team will be looking to extend its three-game win streak while the Cardinals are coming off a Week 9 win over the Dallas Cowboys.