Sam Darnold’s steady Super Bowl run didn’t just silence doubters. It reflected something that holds for every NFL team, especially those with young, developing quarterbacks. Speaking after Seattle secured a dominant win in Super Bowl LX, Bill Cowher delivered a clear message using Darnold’s journey. He believes quarterbacks don’t always fail, and the onus is also on the systems around them. In his view, rushing the process can ruin talent.

“I think yesterday proved that it’s more about getting a complete team and building a team,” Cowher replied on The Dan Patrick Show when Dan highlighted that teams often discard young quarterbacks quickly if they fail to perform. 

“And when that special guy comes along, I go back to the same thing; that’s what we try to do in Pittsburgh. And we won some playoff games with different quarterbacks, but when we had a special guy come along like Ben Roethlisberger, that’s when championships come along. So, I think that’s the biggest thing is that along the way, you build that offensive line, you build that defense.”

Cowher’s response came when Patrick discussed Sam Darnold’s journey. The host pointed out how the New York Jets once viewed the QB as “a safe pick,” but didn’t offer him the required structure. And now, he’s a Super Bowl champion. Answering how teams can be “cautious” in dealing with a young signal caller, Cowher focused on balance. 

The former linebacker explained that the Seahawks never leaned entirely on quarterback play. Instead, Mike Macdonald’s team rode on elite special teams, a powerful defense, and a reliable run game. He mentioned how many players in each group delivered when it mattered, including kicker Jason Myers, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and running back Kenneth Walker III.

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That structure allowed Darnold to play freely and do his part. Moreover, Cowher lauded Seattle’s signal caller for playing clean football. 

“…He’s [Darnold] done in these playoffs, did not turn the football over, made good decisions. His elusive, he was very elusive in the pocket. I think he negated a lot of sacks that New England thought they would have.”

Darnold indeed deserves all the praise, as it’s the same player who posted twenty turnovers in the regular season. In Week 11, the Los Angeles Rams intercepted his passes four times. But then he overcame this adversity, and how! Over Seattle’s final four games, he threw five touchdowns without a single turnover. 

For Cowher, Darnold’s story shows that quarterbacks thrive when teams are built the right way. And being patient can pave the way. Meanwhile, Sunday’s win served as one of the biggest redemption arcs for Sam Darnold.

Sam Darnold makes history after years of uncertainty

Sam Darnold’s comeback story seems too good to be real. After years of moving from one team to another, he was desperate for steadiness. Drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, the Jets brought him in with high hopes. However, the three-year stint saw him go through struggles that hampered both his production and confidence.

His infamous “ghost” comment after a brutal 2019 game against the Patriots summed up the circumstances. In fact, he became a punchline after that comment, earning the bust label. He moved to the Carolina Panthers in 2021, but it didn’t pull him out of his slump. He never found support early in his career, and it only changed after he landed in San Francisco two years later.

Darnold learned a great deal under head coach Kyle Shanahan and backing up Brock Purdy during a Super Bowl run. While the campaign culminated in an overtime loss to Kansas City, the experience helped prepare him for a breakout season in Minnesota. The following year, he threw for a career-high 4,319 yards with a 66.2 completion rate and hauled in 35 touchdowns. It brought him his first Pro Bowl selection. 

The Vikings still released him, allowing the Seahawks to bet on him through a three-year, $100.5 million deal in 2025. And the rest is history. He not only delivered another 4000-mark season but also won fourteen regular-season games in consecutive seasons with different teams. Since leaving New York, Darnold has won 39 games, including two seasons as a backup. Meanwhile, they managed only 26 wins during that stretch.

The QB earlier admitted that he didn’t hold grudges against the Jets or the Panthers. Well, he didn’t have to. In the end, it was Sam Darnold who had the last laugh.