Sam Darnold Is A Super Bowl Champion Quarterback: 'That's Something You Can't Take From Him'

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold helped lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title in his first season in Seattle, cementing his place in football history.

Feb 14, 2026 at 10:44 AM

John Boyle

Seahawks.com Senior Reporter

As Sam Darnold walked out of the tunnel at Lumen Field—the one he last passed through two and a half weeks earlier after a standout performance that helped the Seahawks to an NFC championship game victory over the Rams—the veteran quarterback paused, slowly turned, and smiled as he took in the scene.

Lumen Field was packed again, though not for a game this time, but rather for a celebration. The Seahawks, and their oft doubted quarterback, were Super Bowl champions, and Seattle was out in force to celebrate, first with a trophy presentation on a stage set up on the north end of the field, and then in a parade with hundreds of thousands of fans lining the streets of downtown Seattle.

As he grinned, cold beer in his left hand, waving his right hand to pump up the crowd, it was darn near impossible to not be thrilled for Darnold, who on his fifth team in his eighth season in the NFL, had reached his sport's mountain top.

A moment our QB will never forget. pic.twitter.com/F7XBWFzVlf
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) February 11, 2026

"Yeeaaaah 12s!" Darnold shouted a few minutes later after being introduced by Seahawks play by play man Steve Raible. "I've talked a lot this last week about belief. A lot of people didn't believe in me, but it didn't matter, because the ones that were close believed in me, including y'all. I appreciate y'all so much. That short list also includes Jody Allen, John Schneider and Mike Macdonald, I appreciate the belief y'all had in me signing me last year, and last but certainly not least, these players, man, for believing in me. I wouldn't be here without these guys, this defense—hey, can we give it up one more time for this defense?"

Pretty much every time Darnold stood in front of a microphone following his 346-yard, three touchdown performance in Seattle's thrilling NFC championship game win over the Rams, he was asked about his NFL journey, or about his doubters, or about the different narratives that have come to define his unusual career. The former No. 3 overall pick, Darnold has been labeled everything from the Jets' QB of the future after that 2018 draft, to a first-round bust after the Jets gave up on him, to a journeyman, to a backup to, after a Pro-Bowl season with the Vikings in 2024, a great comeback story. But even that 14-win season in Minnesota led to more questions about his ability thanks to a couple of rough outings for him and the Vikings offense in a Week 18 loss to the Lions with the NFC North and the No. 1 seed on the line, and a wild card loss to the Rams.

In his first season with the Seahawks, Darnold not only showed that his one year with the Vikings was no fluke, he also emphatically erased the criticism about his ability to step up in big games, going to-toe-to with 2025 MVP Matthew Stafford when the game called for it, and playing a more cautious, turnover-free game against a dangerous Patriots pass rush in the Super Bowl when it was clear the defense and special teams had the game under control.

In three postseason wins, Darnold threw for 672 yards and five touchdowns without a turnover, good for a 102.5 passer rating. He was spectacular in the one game that a big performance was needed, and in control in the other two wins when the Seahawks were able to overwhelm opponents with defense, special teams and the running game. Most notably, with Darnold leading the way, the Seahawks were the first Super Bowl champions to go through a postseason without a single turnover.

But for all that he proved with his play this season, and in the postseason in particular, Darnold wasn't looking to rub it in anyone's face after the game; he didn't clap back at anyone who had questioned his ability in the past. All he wanted to do after the Super Bowl, and again during Wednesday's parade, was enjoy what the Seahawks accomplished with the people who, collectively, made it happen. Part of Darnold's formula for success is his ability to stay in the moment, focusing on what matters rather than on what happened in the past, or on what is being said about him, and watching him soak it all in during Wednesday's celebration, it was clear Darnold was in the moment in the best way possible.

To borrow a now-famous phrase from his head coach, Sam Darnold did not care when it came to what people outside of his organization thought about his play, past or present. He only cared about getting the Seahawks to the pinnacle they reached with their Super Bowl LX win.

"Sam doesn't care about the obstacles," Macdonald said after Sunday's win over the Patriots. "Everyone's made a narrative of this guy, they have tried to put a story and a label on who he is as a person and who he is as a quarterback. He does not care. He's been the same guy every day since he showed up, he's steadfast, he's a great teammate. His teammates love him. All he's done since he walked in the door is just be a tremendous player on our team and a tremendous leader who is the same guy every day. That's who he is, and that's how we need to talk about him moving forward."

Darnold has shown remarkable resilience in his career for several reasons, including his physical talents, but also an even-keeled demeanor that makes him impervious to any noise around him. Darnold's teammates, more than the quarterback himself, have rallied around his story and have gone out of their way all season to have his back, and the joy players took in helping him win a title was obvious in the locker room Sunday night.

"It' s a unique story," said linebacker Ernest Jones IV, a vocal and emphatic supporter of Darnold all season. "I'm super blessed that that guy's my quarterback. And I think he just models what everybody on that team has been through. We've all been rejected, we've all been not respected, and he's just the guy at the helm for us. He's a hell of a quarterback, and I'm super thankful he's my quarterback."

Later in the locker room, Jones added, "Sam's the man. We knew that from Day 1. Sometimes you have to go through these bumps in the road for God to show you who you are, and show you who he is. There's nobody else I'd want to be my quarterback."

Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who earned AP Offensive Player of the Year honors after piling up a league-high 1,793 yards on passes from Darnold, said of his quarterback, "Sam Darnold, he's a beast. He's everything that you want in a quarterback and a leader. He led his troops today, like he's been doing all season. He doesn't let the noise get to him. He's a baller, man. I've been saying it. The media, they want to talk about something, but he's a world champ, and that's something you can't take from him, and that's something that's cemented in history."

A Super Bowl win meant a bit more emotion out of Darnold than is usual for a player known for his steady demeanor, but it wasn't so much about what he had accomplished or proven as a quarterback, but because he was able to celebrate it on the field with his fiancé, Katie, and his parents, the people whose steadfast belief Darnold credits as the key to his success and resilience.

"It's special," Darnold said. "I shared a great moment with my parents and my fiancé, Katie, after the game, and I think that's what got me a little bit. Me and my dad don't cry very often, and I told my dad and my mom, I'm here because of their belief in me. They believed in me throughout my entire career, and I think that's why I was able to believe in myself almost ad nauseum. Some people called me crazy throughout my career for believing in myself so much and having so much confidence, but it was because of my parents, because of the way that they believed in me throughout my entire career, and it allowed me to go out there and play free and have a ton of confidence."

And in the end, what made the moment most special for Darnold wasn't that he became a Super Bowl champion quarterback, it was that he helped an incredibly close group of players become Super Bowl champions together.

"I don't think it's really hit me yet, to be honest with you, but it's special," Darnold said. "This group is why it's special. The connection that all of have as players, the love that all of us have for each other, the players, the coaches, really everybody in the building, top down, from Jody all the way down. The love that we share throughout the building is special, and I've never been at a place like it."