Not long ago, Sam Darnold looked like just another quarterback who never quite lived up to his draft hype.
From 2018 through 2023, Darnold bounced between the Jets, Panthers and 49ers. Over those six seasons, his teams went 21–35 when he started. He threw 63 touchdowns, 56 interceptions, and spent most of that time fighting inconsistency, injuries, and the label of being a “what could’ve been” quarterback.
Fast forward to now, and Darnold’s career has taken a turn that almost no one saw coming.
Last season in Minnesota, he helped lead the Vikings to a 14–3 record. This year in Seattle, he has the Seahawks sitting at 12–3 with two games left. One more win would put him at 13 victories again — and that would make history.
No quarterback has ever led two different teams to 13 wins in back-to-back seasons.
Even doing it once is rare. Only a handful of legends — Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre — have pulled off consecutive 13-win seasons. Those guys were long-time franchise quarterbacks who rarely changed teams, which makes Darnold’s run even more surprising.
The numbers back it up, too. Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons combined, Darnold has thrown 59 touchdown passes to only 25 interceptions — a massive turnaround from the early years of his career.
Darnold’s resurgence also highlights something the NFL sees time and time again: quarterbacks don’t always fail — sometimes they’re just put in the wrong situation. Young passers can land on teams without stability, without protection, or without a real plan to develop them. Others simply aren’t given enough time before a new coaching staff hits the reset button.
Darnold is now proof that the right environment can completely change a career. His turnaround mirrors what Jared Goff has done in Detroit — another former top pick who looked written off, only to find new life with the right coaching staff, system, and support.
And it’s not just Goff. This season, Daniel Jones was enjoying a near-MVP level resurgence with the Colts before a season-ending injury cut his year short — another reminder that the right fit can unlock a quarterback’s true potential.
It also offers hope for younger quarterbacks who may soon be looking for second chances, like Anthony Richardson and Malik Willis. Darnold’s story shows that with patience, structure, and the right fit, a so-called “retread” can turn into a franchise-level player.
Two years ago, Darnold was still viewed as a struggling former first-round pick trying to hang on in the league. Now he’s doing something that even Hall of Fame quarterbacks never did — dominating with two different franchises in back-to-back seasons.
What once looked like a stalled career has turned into one of the best comeback stories in the NFL, and Sam Darnold has officially gone from “bust talk” to elite company.