Sam Darnold has broken all expectations and, in his first year with his new team, led the Seattle Seahawks to their first Super Bowl appearance in 11 seasons. He played a flawless game against the Los Angeles Rams in a 31-27 win, punching their ticket to the big game in two weeks.
Russell Wilson Sends Heartfelt Message to Sam Darnold After NFC Championship Game
Darnold is one of the best redemption stories in the NFL. He was the third overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, but struggled to establish himself with teams such as the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers. He bounced back in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings before signing a three-year contract with the Seahawks in free agency.
Darnold is the first quarterback to take the Seahawks to the Super Bowl since Russell Wilson did in back-to-back seasons in 2013 and 2014. The New York Giants quarterback congratulated him on his Twitter account after the game, even saying, “hope you win it!”
“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 (@DangeRussWilson) January 26, 2026
Darnold was a free agent in 2025 after his contract with the Vikings ended. The Vikings decided to go in a different direction and gave the keys to the reign to J.J. McCarthy, their first-round pick in the 2024 draft.
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McCarthy struggled with injuries in 2025, and the Vikings missed the playoffs. During the game, Jonathan Greenard made a cryptic tweet after another great play from Darnold, indicating his displeasure with Minnesota’s decision to let him go.
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— Jonathan Greenard (@jongreenard7) January 26, 2026
Seattle had the best record in the NFC, and its home-field advantage was made to count. Their win against the San Francisco 49ers was total domination, but the Seahawks had to dig deep against the Rams to advance to Super Bowl 60.
Darnold finished the game with 25 completed passes out of 36 attempts, 346 yards, and 3 touchdowns. He was excellent, especially when connecting with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finished with 10 receptions, 153 yards, and a touchdown. The duo torched the Rams’ secondary from start to finish.
Super Bowl 60 is the final step to history for this version of the Seahawks. Darnold, ranked No. 13 in our PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metric, is the first quarterback from his draft class (which includes Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Baker Mayfield) to reach the Super Bowl. Will he also be the first one to win a ring?
