Seahawks' Sam Darnold Still Not Getting His Respect After Super Bowl Run

Sam Darnold has spent the last two seasons rewriting the story of his NFL career, but some evaluators still aren't ready to give him the respect his résumé deserves.

Pro Football Focus recently released its rankings of all 32 projected starting quarterbacks entering the 2026 season, and they placed the Seahawks signal-caller at No. 14. While that may seem respectable on the surface, it's a surprising spot for a quarterback who just led Seattle to a Super Bowl championship and has now won 31 regular-season games over the past two seasons.

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Darnold's journey has been one of the league's best comeback stories. After being labeled a draft bust following stops with the Jets, Panthers, and 49ers, he revived his career with the Vikings before signing with Seattle.

His first season under Mike Macdonald couldn't have gone much better, as the Seahawks finished with a franchise-best 14-3 record before defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.

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Despite the championship, PFF still ranked 13 quarterbacks ahead of Darnold.

Quarterbacks are ultimately judged by wins, playoff performances, and championships. Darnold delivered all three. He guided Seattle through the NFC playoffs, protected the football throughout the postseason and helped bring the franchise its second Lombardi Trophy.

While running back Kenneth Walker III earned Super Bowl MVP honors, Darnold consistently made the throws Seattle needed throughout the championship run.

There's also an argument that Darnold has been one of the NFL's most consistent quarterbacks since the start of the 2024 season. Across the past two years, he has established himself as an efficient passer capable of limiting mistakes while creating explosive plays, a combination that has translated directly into victories. Several analysts have even argued that his production over that span warrants top-10 consideration.

Rankings are designed to spark debate, and this one certainly accomplished that.

Until someone proves they can do what Darnold just did—lead a new team to a Super Bowl title in his first season as the starter—it will be hard for many Seahawks fans to accept that there are 13 quarterbacks better than him heading into 2026.