Sam Darnold on what his NFL journey's lesson would be after Super Bowl win: 'Always believe in yourself'

Sam Darnold’s NFL travel has been thing abbreviated of inspiring. 

The backmost yet got to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy with his Seattle Seahawks, his 5th NFL team, Sunday successful Santa Clara.

Darnold was the 3rd wide prime retired of USC successful 2018 to the New York Jets, wherever helium was hoping to instrumentality the squad retired of playoff purgatory and cement himself arsenic 1 of the greats for "Gang Green."

Instead, Darnold recovered himself retired of New York aft 3 seasons, traded to the Carolina Panthers and opening his determination from the East Coast to West Coast.

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Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy aft winning the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots astatine Levi's Stadium Feb. 8, 2026, successful Santa Clara, Calif. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

After battling with Baker Mayfield successful Carolina, Darnold yet landed arsenic Brock Purdy’s backup with the San Francisco 49ers. Then helium got different changeable astatine starting successful the league with the Minnesota Vikings, starring them to a 14-3 record.

The occurrence Darnold recovered led to choices successful escaped agency, each player’s dream. He went with the Seahawks, reuniting with violative coordinator Klint Kubiak, and the remainder is present history.

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So, arsenic Darnold sat astatine a Raising Cane’s to observe with a "shift" successful beforehand of Seahawks fans aft the 29-13 victory, Fox News Digital asked him what acquisition mightiness beryllium learned from his travel done the league.

"I truly deliberation it’s astir believing successful yourself and taking it 1 time astatine a time," helium said implicit the phone. "I think, if there’s immoderate lesson, it’s that. Continue to beryllium yourself successful immoderate concern and ever judge successful yourself."

Darnold’s content led him to this point. And helium got a sensation of what Wednesday volition beryllium similar astatine the parade successful Seattle erstwhile Seahawks fans flocked to Raising Cane’s to spot their Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

"It’s unbelievable, man," helium said. "I mean, the lukewarm invited I got with fans was conscionable beauteous special. To beryllium honest, I don’t deliberation I’ve ever seen thing similar it. It’s conscionable dissimilar thing I’ve seen.

Seattle Seahawks backmost Sam Darnold throws a walk during the archetypal fractional of the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots astatine Levi’s Stadium successful Santa Clara, Calif., Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

"They’ve shown up for america each season, each the mode to the end. So, I’m precise thankful to beryllium playing present successful Seattle with these fans."

Fox News Digital spoke with Darnold successful March 2025 erstwhile helium made the determination to articulation the Seahawks aft they had conscionable traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, making the starting backmost spot open. He said helium loved the communal involvement and believed successful caput manager Mike Macdonald and the radical of guys already successful the building.

Darnold was simply hoping to acceptable successful and assistance pb the squad to the promised land. Mission accomplished.

"Clearly, I made the close decision," helium said astir 1 twelvemonth later. "It’s been a precise peculiar thrust with this group, with my teammates and the coaching unit that we had this year.

Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks walks connected the tract aft the NFC title against the Los Angeles Rams Jan. 25, 2026, successful Seattle. The Seattle Seahawks won 31-27. (Getty Images)

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"It’s funny, I consciousness similar aft the Super Bowl even, we each wanted to play different game. Maybe not physically, but mentally, emotionally, we’re inactive successful it, and we conscionable emotion playing shot with each other. That’s each you tin inquire for erstwhile you motion up to play this large game."

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