The former Viking is 60 minutes away from a Super Bowl ring.
Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks are one win away from a Super Bowl title. After becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to win 14 games as a starter in back-to-back seasons, Darnold has a chance to finish the job against the New England Patriots. Funny enough, Darnold was drafted out of USC to help beat the Patriots in big games for the New York Jets.
One year after losing in the Wild Card round to the Los Angeles Rams as the starting quarterback for the Vikings, Darnold outdueled league MVP candidate Matthew Stafford. The question is: Do the Vikings regret not bringing Darnold back?
That question can be posed to the Jets, Panthers, and 49ers as well. The Jets drafted the quarterback to be their franchise QB. The Panthers had both Darnold and Baker Mayfield in their building for little to no money and let both walk. The 49ers had Darnold as their backup during their run to the Super Bowl in 2023.
In the case of Darnold, his career is a study in organizational failures more than in the player being bad. Sure, the quarterback hasn't played his best football at times with the Jets and Panthers, but there is no denying that coaching matters in the NFL. After his brief stint with the 49ers, where he stated he picked up proper habits in preparation as a quarterback, Minnesota brought him in, but it was assumed J.J. McCarthy would start with Darnold as his backup.
McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury, and Darnold operated Kevin O'Connell's system, leading the Vikings into the playoffs and rejuvenating his career. There have been reports that the Vikings wanted Darnold to return, but we may never know for sure. Either way, the former USC quarterback chose to reunite with Klint Kubiak in Seattle.
Minnesota took a flyer on Daniel Jones at the end of last year as well, which might be more of an indication of their confidence level in McCarthy and not Darnold. Still, waking up on Monday morning knowing the quarterback you had in the building last season won the NFC has to make the organization wonder.
It could have been the best move possible for Darnold to pair with Seattle's defense, which is the best in the NFL. Minnesota's defense was formidable last season, but Seattle's is better with each level having All-Pro-level players.
In the end, things work out how they are supposed to. Minnesota turned the operation over to its first-round selection, and Darnold found success elsewhere. Still, Minnesota has to at least wonder if they made the right choice or should have tried harder to keep Darnold.