Sam Darnold is heading to Super Bowl LX. Nine years ago, if you were told that Sam Darnold became the franchise quarterback of the New York Jets and finally led them back to the Super Bowl, it would seem like a dream!
That is not reality, though, just a mere fantasy that once lived in the head of Jets fans. Instead, after a long journey of being on multiple teams, Darnold is leading the Seattle Seahawks to the big game.
By now, it’s no surprise to anyone what Darnold has become. He is a legit, formidable quarterback in this league who had over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. He has back-to-back 14-win seasons and will be playing in the Super Bowl. Against all odds, and a rough start to his career. It’s safe to say Darnold has proven himself as the guy that all Jets fans thought he would be all those years ago.
Darnold was drafted third overall by the Jets in 2017. It was a rocky tenure with little success, but the potential was there. Darnold showed promise, but the reality was that the Jets lacked the support system around him to help him thrive.
Darnold went 13-25 in his career as the Jets’ starter with a little over 8,000 yards passing with 45 touchdown passes and 39 interceptions. Don’t get me wrong, Darnold struggled a ton of times in his three years with Gang Green and by his final season with the team, he looked all kinds of ruined.
Even with that, he still showed tons of upside and had some big moments and games for the Jets. New York simply didn’t support him well; the organization failed him in many ways, with poor coaching and roster management, something New York is still struggling with to this day, while Darnold is thriving.
Darnold wasn’t terrible for New York to the point that it was still a heavy debate back in 2021 over whether New York should keep him or trade him for a new quarterback, which ended up being first-round bust Zach Wilson. Ultimately, the Jets’ general manager at the time, Joe Douglas, opted to move on from Darnold, which, in hindsight, has aged awfully. To be fair, though, at the time it was a tough decision, with both options having valid points. Could the Jets have kept Darnold and built a team around him to where he could have the success he is having today?
Honestly, it’s all one big hypothetical, and by 2021, it was probably for the best for both parties to move on and start fresh. Darnold was a broken quarterback who needed a change of scenery and better development. He most likely doesn’t get that in New York, which was in complete rebuild mode. Plus, as history has shown, the Jets organization is not that reliable in developing quarterbacks.
New York trading Darnold was the best thing that could have ever happened for him. The talent and potential were all there for Darnold, but the Jets just could not build around him. The hiring of Adam Gase as head coach was probably the nail in the coffin for Darnold’s career in New York. It definitely is one of the biggest what-ifs in the franchise’s history: What if they could have just gotten right with Darnold? Unfortunately, we will never know what that universe looks like for the Jets.
Now Darnold heads into the Super Bowl in what is a poetic matchup against the New England Patriots. Darnold vs. the Patriots, I bet the first thing that pops into your mind is the iconic “seeing ghosts” game, where Darnold threw four interceptions in a humiliating Monday Night Football loss.
Darnold has not fared well against the Patriots in his career. He is 0-4 against New England with one touchdown pass and nine interceptions with a 41.2 passer rating. Yikes, you could say New England is Darnold’s kryptonite. The team he has struggled against the most is now the team he has to defeat to win a Super Bowl championship.
But this is not the old Jets or even Panthers’ Darnold. The Patriots have not yet faced this Sam Darnold, who leads the league in wins over the last two years. This is truly a different player who rises to the occasion to help his team win in big games.
Darnold has a chance to complete the redemption story by bringing home a championship, and on top of it, stop the Patriots of all teams from winning another one. I feel confident saying I believe all Jets fans will be rooting for Darnold to get his Super Bowl ring on February 8.
