Jan. 27, 2026, 12:48 p.m. ET
It’s been fairly well documented that former New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold has thrived since leaving the organization. It took him a while to really get going, but he fully displayed his potential with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. Maximizing that one-year contract, Darnold parlayed that performance into a lucrative three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
Many wondered if the new-found success Darnold located in Minnesota would follow him to Seattle. Well, it’s safe to say the answer is a definitive yes. Darnold was outstanding in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, leading the Seahawks to a win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Darnold and the Seahawks will now face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
The Jets failed Darnold. They drafted him at No. 3 overall during the 2018 NFL draft. The Jets fired head coach Todd Bowles after Darnold’s rookie season. They hired Adam Gase and made Dowell Loggains the offensive coordinator, but they couldn’t rescue Darnold at that point either.
Darnold developed bad habits at quarterback and wasn’t totally blameless. His infamous admission of “seeing ghosts” essentially guaranteed he’d never meet his potential in East Rutherford. It’s been fun to see Darnold turn his career around, but it also serves as a warning sign to the Jets as they continue searching for their next franchise quarterback.
