Former New York Jets QB Sam Darnold is one win away from becoming an NFL champion.
When the New York Jets selected Sam Darnold with the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of USC, many people thought the Jets had finally found their franchise QB.
However, Darnold's stint with the Jets didn't go well. The QB went 13-25 as a starter and finished with 8,097 passing yards, 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions.
In April 2021, the Jets traded Darnold to the Carolina Panthers. Darnold spent two seasons with the Panthers before signing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. After one season with the 49ers, Darnold joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 and the rest is history.
Darnold was spectacular for the Vikings in the 2024 regular season. He went 14-3 and finished with 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. However, Minnesota opted not to re-sign the California native last offseason because J.J. McCarthy was ready to play.
So, Darnold signed with the Seattle Seahawks, who went 14-3 this season and are one win away from winning the Super Bowl. Darnold has established himself as one of the best QBs in the NFL since getting traded by the Jets and the man who drafted him, Mike Maccagnan, is very happy for him.
"I was always kind of sad that Sam wasn't able to fulfill that potential in New York," Maccagnan told ESPN. "That's where he started his journey, and, in an ideal world, he would've finished it there.
"But it wasn't meant to be, and he had to go on his own journey to grow and develop in different places. It makes me feel good that he's fulfilling his potential. It's not necessarily vindication. In our business, when you see something, and it turns out the way you envisioned it, it makes you feel good. I think every scout probably feels that way."
The Jets have been a walking disaster for years. Meanwhile, Darnold has shone with the Vikings and Seahawks and is one win away from becoming an NFL champion.
"My personal opinion: I would've liked to have seen him get a full opportunity there," Maccagnan said. "But at the end of the day, I wasn't in that building, so I can't say, 'They should've done this, this and this.' I wasn't around. But I was saddened to see them trade him."
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