Sam Darnold was seeing ghosts.
In a 33-0 loss against the New England Patriots during his second season in the NFL, the former third overall pick in 2018 was heard by an ESPN microphone saying, “I’m seeing ghosts.” In that game, Darnold threw for a miserable 86 yards and four interceptions.
For the QB, the quote became the defining moment of his career, one that was rapidly spinning downward. By his sixth year in the NFL, the former USC standout was on his way out. The name Darnold had become synonymous with bust. He fizzled with the Jets. Then in Carolina for two years, he did little to improve his reputation.
Most thought his next stop might be as a high school coach somewhere. But then came a glimmer of hope.
In 2023, Darnold signed with the San Francisco 49ers. Led by the offensive-minded coach Kyle Shanahan, the team went 12-5 and Darnold, a backup, had a hand in its success playing in 10 games, starting one. Folks around the NFL looked at each other—maybe Darnold could contribute as a player?
Maybe the issue was about where he had played previously. Maybe he just needs the right home. The QB had been on awful teams, picked as the savior of a franchise, the Jets, that has not had a savior since Joe Namath. But in San Francisco, he’d signed on to play a role. “That’s a very good feeling as a quarterback,” Darnold said in 2023. “Knowing that the [coach] is going to put everyone in the best position possible.”
After the 49ers, Darnold signed with the Minnesota Vikings to backup the team’s rookie QB, J.J. McCarthy.
But McCarthy missed the entire year with a knee injury. Out of nowhere, Darnold was thrust back into the starting lineup. Amazingly, though, he thrived. As the team’s fulltime starter, he had a Pro Bowl year, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions.
Despite the incredible season, he played poorly in the postseason with Minnesota and ghosts haunted him again. Critics came out in droves, saying, Same ol’ Sam Darnold. It was as if he was the NFL’s Charlie Brown. The Vikings made it clear he wasn’t being invited back.
In the spring, Darnold signed a $100-million contract with Seattle, a team on the rise with a defensive-minded head coach in Mike Macdonald. He got another chance. But Seattle didn’t need him to be a star. They just needed him to fit into the family.
Over 17 games, the Hawks earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Then came two more playoff wins. Now, Seattle is in the Super Bowl. It’s a storybook plotline that may just become one of the most unlikely finishes in sports.
But how did this happen?
Where did Darnold get the sheer belief in himself that made him capable of such a career turnaround? And can any of us who may feel like we’re no longer in favor professionally learn something from his actions?
Of course, the simple answer is that Darnold kept grinding. He kept working. But the more important answer is that Darnold found a support system in Seattle like nowhere else.
Take, for example, how his teammates rallied around him after his poor play contributed to a regular season loss to the Rams. Darnold accepted blame and the critics were having a field day. So teammate Ernest Jones IV Jr. took the microphone to declare: “Sam has had us in every f—ing game. For him to sit there and say, ‘That’s my fault’ — no it’s not…We’ve got his back. If you’ve got anything to say, quite frankly, f— you.”
The family, Jones said, was wrapping its arms around Darnold, an experience he hadn’t had before. That praise continued all the way through Sunday night.
“You can’t talk about the game without talking about our quarterback,” Coach Macdonald said after the Seahawks defeated the Rams in the NFC Championship Sunday. “He shut a lot of people up tonight, so I’m really happy for him.”
Sometimes you can’t do it all yourself. Sometimes you can’t fix every problem on your own. Despite all the talent, sports and success are about teams. Even tennis players and golfers have coaches, family members, support systems that come around them in good times and bad. Darnold found his in Seattle.
“I’m rolling with Sam all day,” said Seattle’s Pro Bowl WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba after Sunday’s game. “We believe in him. The building believes in him. The city believes in him. It’s awesome to run out onto the field with him.”
All the ghosts have vanished.
13-Time New York Times Bestselling Author and Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker
Don Yaeger
