If you took a time machine back to 2019 or 2020 and told a New York Jets fan that Sam Darnold would be playing in a Super Bowl by 2025, they would have laughed you right out of the block. But here we are at Super Bowl 60, and Sam Darnold is present. But of course, the Jets are not.
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Darnold got a second, second chance with the Seattle Seahawks this season after spending a year in Minnesota. He led Seattle to the No. 1 seed in the NFC, an NFC West division title, and an NFC Championship. The team did not win in spite of Darnold. They won because of him.
346 yards and three TDs with no picks on a 70 percent completion rate in the 31-27 NFC Championship win over the Los Angeles Rams has stamped Darnold as an elite quarterback in the NFL. There can be no arguing that now. Skip Bayless, who probably represents a large swath of NFL fans, was still in shock the day after the game.
“Now I’ve seen everything,” Bayless said during his 18-minute X rant. “I just saw Sam Darnold beat the Los Angeles Rams, led by Matthew Stafford, and lift the Seattle Seahawks into the Super Bowl? I don’t think I dreamed it, I think it just happened on my TV right here in Los Angeles, California. The Rams I picked are not going anywhere but home to Los Angeles.”
Bayless was far from alone in his surprise that Darnold actually brought this Seahawks team all the way to the pinnacle. Even the Seahawks were uncertain about the QB. That’s why he had so many incentives built into his contract. And it’s hard to imagine there are any that he hasn’t hit. The six confirmed add up to an extra $3 million for Darnold this season:
Sam Darnold’s bonus checklist:
✅$500K for 4,000+ yards
✅$500K for 67.5%+ completion rate
✅$500K for Top 10 offense
✅$500K for Playoff berth
✅$500K for Divisional Round win
✅$500K for Conference Championship winThat’s an extra $3 million earned. 💰 pic.twitter.com/7BlRcuzeKl
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 26, 2026
And no doubt, Darnold earned every penny. Because not only did he bring the Seahawks to the promised land. He also finally did enough to make guys like Bayless, who has been one of Darnold’s harshest critics since his college days at USC, eat their words.
“Sam Darnold, who I have heavily criticized for many years, even before his draft,” Bayless said at the start of his rant, adding,
“I said he’s a mistake-maker… Now I can’t help but believe in a guy I have nicknamed ‘Same Darnold’. I call him ‘Same’, because it’s always the same, another late, crucial turnover… Tonight belonged to ‘Same Darnold’, who was not the same. He was different. He was shockingly different.”
Sam Darnold just turned it into a reality. Lord have mercy. What just happened? pic.twitter.com/PPHtmwmvaF
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 26, 2026
It takes a lot for someone like Skip Bayless to admit their mistakes. Well, Darnold can do that to you.
During this postseason, Darnold is the only QB to play in multiple games without having thrown an interception. His 69.8 completion percentage ranks second behind only Josh Allen, and his 7.5 TD rate is third. He also leads the playoffs with a 58.6 success rate, an 8.9 yards per attempt mark, and his 122.4 passer rating is the sixth-best for a playoff run since the turn of the century.
Not too shabby for a guy who was written off by most after his tough nine-sack, two-turnover disaster in last year’s playoffs.
