The "bust" label can now be burned. After Saturday's 41-6 demolition of the San Francisco 49ers by the Seattle Seahawks, Sam Darnold is one win away from a milestone that the most decorated names of his generation have not been able to reach.
The 2018 NFL Draft is rightfully hailed as a legendary quarterback class, featuring five first-rounders with a variety of successes.
While Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen have both won MVP honors, they share a glaring void-- neither has gotten to a Super Bowl. Lamar’s 3-5 playoff record and Allen’s recent heartbreak against Denver, have kept the elite duo on the outside looking in.
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Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield has found stability in Tampa Bay, but has never pushed past the Divisional round. The 10th overall pick, Josh Rosen is out of the league, and enrolled at The Wharton School to become a banker.
Then there is the USC drought. In a shocking statistical anomaly, despite the Trojans being a "Quarterback U" for decades, no former USC quarterback has ever started a Super Bowl. From Carson Palmer to Matt Leinart, the Trojan-to-Super-Bowl pipeline has been non-existent for signal-callers.
Interestingly enough, Caleb Williams of the Bears is also a Trojans alum, and could be one win away from making it to the "Big Game" if he defeats the Rams on Sunday.
The former Jets third overall pick, who led Seattle to the No. 1 seed and first NFC West title since 2020, is on the verge of making history. If Darnold wins next weekend, he won't just be the first from his star-studded draft class to reach the mountain top--he’ll be the first Trojan ever to take a snap on Super Bowl Sunday.
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