The Seattle Seahawks’ gamble on quarterback Sam Darnold has officially paid off. When Seattle signed Darnold to a three-year deal last offseason, many people questioned the move. But fast-forward to now, and Darnold led Seattle to a thrilling 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. With that victory, he lifted the George Halas Trophy and booked Seattle’s berth to Super Bowl LX. The moment didn’t go unnoticed by New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson, who then took to social media to share his thoughts on Darnold’s journey.

“Sam Darnold’s comeback story over the past 2 years has been one of the most inspirational things to watch! Cool seeing him overcome!!! Congrats, bro. Hope you win it! 🏆 Go Hawks,” Russell Wilson wrote in his X post after Seattle’s win.

Wilson, who famously led the Seahawks to their Super Bowl title during the 2013 season, clearly sees something special in what Sam Darnold is doing. At 28, already on his fifth team, Darnold has quietly built one of the NFL’s most impressive comeback stories in recent times.

It all started with the New York Jets, who selected Sam Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. But things didn’t go well for Darnold at the beginning of his career. Over three difficult seasons with the Jets, he threw for 8,097 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions before the Jets decided to trade him. 

Darnold then landed with the Carolina Panthers and started 17 games across two seasons for the team. But once again, he found himself looking for a new opportunity in 2023, when he joined the San Francisco 49ers as a backup behind QB Brock Purdy.

Then came the 2024 NFL season with the Minnesota Vikings, and everything finally clicked for the QB. Sam Darnold recorded the best year of his career in 2024, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while earning his first Pro Bowl nod. Still, Minnesota chose a different direction by releasing him to clear the path to develop their rookie QB J.J. McCarthy. 

Seattle then signed Sam Darnold in March last year after parting ways with veteran QB Geno Smith. Darnold was handed a three-year, $105 million contract and a roster very much in transition. Still, he responded to the faith shown in him by finishing the 2025 regular season with 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also led Seattle to a 14-3 record, which helped the team earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC and, now, a Super Bowl ticket.

Can Sam Darnold lift the Super Bowl after leading the Seahawks to the NFC title win?

When the 2025 NFL season began in September last year, few people believed Seattle would end up winning the NFC title. Yet on Sunday night at Lumen Field, even while battling through an oblique injury, Sam Darnold delivered for Seattle. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns to carry the Seahawks to the conference title win.

Sam Darnold’s calmness under pressure kept Seattle steady in a back-and-forth battle against the Rams. Late in the third quarter of the game, it was on Darnold’s 13-yard touchdown pass to his receiver Cooper Kupp that ensured the Seahawks took a 31-20 lead. From there, the game turned into a show of dominance for Seattle’s top-ranked defense.

With just under 4:56 minutes left in the game, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford drove deep into Seahawks territory, threatening to swing the game in his team’s favor. On fourth-and-goal from the six-yard line, he targeted the end zone, but Seattle’s cornerback Devon Witherspoon broke up the pass at the perfect moment. And one more defensive stop later, the Seahawks booked the ticket to their fourth Super Bowl appearance.

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Sam Darnold now owns the first two playoff wins of his career, but the next test might be the toughest yet. Seattle will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium. The Patriots’ defense has been outstanding recently, giving up just 26 points combined in three playoff games. And let’s not forget that Darnold is 0-4 against the Patriots in his career. But has he ever had a team this complete as the 2025 Seahawks around him?

The Seahawks’ offense, led by Sam Darnold, has averaged more than 28 points per game this postseason, which will also be the most dangerous unit the Patriots have seen this season. So while Russell Wilson remains the last QB to bring a Lombardi Trophy to Seattle, he’s made it clear he believes Sam Darnold is ready to change that. And after everything Darnold has been through in the past few years, wouldn’t that be the perfect ending to this comeback story?