When it comes to storytelling, the “second chance” narrative is one of the most popular. And for good reason. Who doesn’t love a good comeback story? And Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold embodied that this year.
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He was “seeing ghosts” after spending several years in Adam Gase’s historically bad New York Jets offense in 2019 and 2020. The former top-five pick bounced around for a few years before being given a real shot with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. He made the Pro Bowl that year. But back-to-back shocking performances to end Minnesota’s season meant he was without a job again to start 2025.
That didn’t last long, though. The Seahawks quickly signed him to a big deal, and Darnold promptly led them to their first Super Bowl title in over a decade during his first season with the franchise. Seattle cashing in after believing in a guy who was on his second—or maybe third—chance in the league has led many to underline the need to not “give up on guys.” Unsurprisingly, Johnny Manziel is among that chorus.
“You have to see Sam Darnold as a top 10 quarterback,” Manziel said on a recent episode of his Glory Daze podcast. “I think you have to look at guys like Baker [Mayfield] and Sam and these people who have overcome so much adversity to be the quarterback and be in the situation that they deserve to be in.”
Manziel didn’t stop there. In fact, he actually called out his own followers and listeners of his podcast for being too harsh on quarterbacks who are trying to carry franchises on their shoulders as first-time NFL starters. Darnold is not the only recent QB reclamation project to find success in the NFL.
Seattle got two Pro Bowls out of Geno Smith, the aforementioned Baker Mayfield has found new life in Tampa Bay, and Jared Goff has blossomed in Detroit after mild success in L.A.
“They’ve dealt with so much and dealt with people like you out here that listen to the podcast that sh*t on ’em because they didn’t succeed the first time,” Manziel continued, before adding,
“Hey, f*ck you! You go play the quarterback position in the NFL and get chased by Aaron Donald and these guys! How hard is it to read coverage pre-snap and see these guys tilt and roll and bring a blitz to knock your f*cking head off?”
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Manziel is clearly speaking from experience. He had his day in the sun in 2012 when he won the Heisman Trophy during a historic season with Texas A&M. But his career thereafter was characterized by both personal issues with confidence and belief, and coaches and execs who judged him based on his college persona.
He did get second chances, however. And no doubt he wishes he had made more of the second chances he was given by more understanding coaches later in his career—as Darnold did.
