Sam Darnold was the ultimate underdog until he decided he was tired of the label. Powering through the 2025 season with a franchise-record 14 games during the regular season en route to the NFC’s No. 1 seed, the team’s two postseason wins come as part of a nine-game winning streak. No wonder Darnold is heaving a sigh of relief, the 12s are celebrating, and most importantly, head coach Mike MacDonald has an answer ready for every detractor who made life hard for his quarterback.

“You can’t talk about the game without talking about our quarterback,” MacDonald said. “He shut a lot of people up tonight, so I’m really happy for him.

“To come out [and play] the way he played, barely practicing, barely throwing the ball, it was really incredible. It should go down as one of the best performances in playoff history, I would imagine. It’s hard to stack it, but I can’t imagine anybody playing any better.”

For a player who has largely been considered the ultimate “bust”, nothing gets better than this, especially amid Darnold’s declining physical health leading up to the Los Angeles Rams clash.

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As per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seattle Seahawks signal-caller had to receive a pain-killing injection before the game, result of an oblique injury he suffered in practice two days before their 41-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. He missed a significant amount of practice time in the past two weeks. Even during his latest practice, the 28-year-old was unable to play at full capacity, often holding himself back to save his energy for the Rams clash. Splitting reps with Drew Lock last week, Darnold attempted only short and medium throws at practice. But like they say, all’s well that ends well. And for Darnold, it ended on a high he’d only imagined but never once achieved during his career.

On Sunday night at Lumen Field, the 2x Pro Bowler threw three touchdown passes with zero turnovers during their 31-27 win, securing a ticket to the Super Bowl. In fact, Darnold was the first quarterback to throw three touchdowns under pressure during a playoff game, informs NextGenStats. And to show how big that is for the young player, this is his past (read: painful) stats against the same team.

In his previous two meetings with Los Angeles this season, Darnold recorded three interceptions and zero touchdowns under pressure. What’s more, in four games versus the Rams in the previous two seasons, the QB had just five touchdown passes, seven interceptions, 16 sacks and a disappointing 1-3 record, reportedly making up for a QBR of just 34.4 in those games. This time, though, his lack of mistakes, stellar decision-making, and near-perfect execution of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s aggressive playcalling served its purpose.

Darnold is now the first of four quarterbacks drafted in 2018, including Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, who made it to a Super Bowl. So, expectedly, not just Mike MacDonald is proud, but also the team.

“I was so happy for him,” Seahawks’ veteran defensive tackle Leonard Williams said. “To show up in a game like this when there’s still so many doubters, it’s big time for him. I’m so proud of him, so proud of my team.”

“It doesn’t say anything that we didn’t already know about him,” receiver Jake Bobo, meanwhile, said after the game. “He’s the man. Obviously, you see the arm talent out here every Sunday. But his leadership is what makes him special. Everybody in this locker room wants to play for him and it takes a special dude to be able to pull that off and then do what he does on the field. I can’t say enough about him. Hopefully he doesn’t see me saying this because I’ll get shit for it, but he’s a great dude.

“He’s the best in the world. It didn’t surprise anybody, I’ll tell you that. Just the way he came out and got it done for us. Obviously, he’s got one more in him. I think this is going to be fun to watch him enjoy this one especially.

Finally, the Super Bowl is next. Darnold may not need another stat-heavy night to finish the job. Still, the former No. 3 overall pick is closer than ever to rewriting his story where it counts most.

Back in 2024, Darnold’s stop in the Vikings confused many. He had good protection, but the setup was far from perfect. The Vikes leaned on a takeaway-heavy defense and a thin run game inside a pass-first plan. As a result, too much landed on Darnold’s arm. That gamble collapsed fast when the Rams crushed Minnesota 27-9, with Darnold being dropped nine times.

Now, more than a year later, the story reads differently. Against the same Rams, no one will mention three sacks. Instead, they will remember Darnold going punch for punch with MVP-caliber Matthew Stafford and walking out with a win.

Sam Darnold earns more praise

With the win, Sam Darnold stands as the third quarterback to lead the Hawks to a Super Bowl, joining Matt Hasselbeck and Russell Wilson. And even though Wilson’s exit from the Emerald City ended rough, the respect never left. So, naturally, the praise came quickly.

Russell Wilson took to X and made his feelings clear about what Darnold has pulled off.

“Sam Darnold’s comeback story over the past 2 years has been one of the most inspirational things to watch! Cool seeing him overcome!!! Congrats bro. Hope you win it! 🏆Go Hawks.”

Wilson was the last quarterback to take Seattle to the Super Bowl. Despite how things ended between him and the organization, there is no bitterness in his words. Instead, Wilson pointed directly at the grind Darnold endured. He saw a quarterback who absorbed setbacks, stayed ready, and finally broke through when the moment arrived.

Meanwhile, Darnold’s path here was anything but smooth. He played for five teams across eight seasons and still found himself dismissed after a 14-win year with the Vikings. Even after signing a three-year, $100.5 million deal to lead Seattle, many doubted he could guide the Hawks to the season’s final game.

Now, the opportunity is bigger than belief. Darnold has a chance to finish what Wilson could not. More than a decade after that painful loss to the Patriots, Seattle is back, and this time, the ending is unwritten.