After years of heartbreak, shortcomings, and multiple free agency periods, Sam Darnold has finally made his way to the mountain top of professional football. His victory with the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl LX, and to a greater extent, his turnover-less run up to it, now stands as one of the greatest underdog stories in NFL history.
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Darnold’s 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings impressed both fans and coaches alike, but much of that shine wore off during his performance against the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round. Factor in the presence of J.J. McCarthy, and that was enough for Minnesota to part ways with him, forcing Darnold to search for his fifth team in seven years.
Simply put, just because no one was willing to doubt the Seahawks in this year’s playoffs doesn’t mean that the same was true for their quarterback, who had also just managed to throw the third most interceptions of any starter in the league in 2025. And according to Shaquem Griffin, that’s exactly what makes Seattle’s conquest one of the best story lines in all of professional sports.
“When you have an underdog story, especially for me as well, it’s against all odds. And when you’re able to prove it, when you’re able to show it and do your thing, that’s like quieting out the noise. And that’s exactly what [Darnold] did, he quieted the noise.”
Griffin was also asked by TMZ if he believes that their win on February 8th could potentially mark the beginning of the NFL’s next dynasty, to which he promptly answered, “Absolutely.” That sentiment has also been echoed by the team’s star wide receiver, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who recently posted on social media that “The Goal is BACK 2 BACK.”
At a surface level, that seems like the natural response from any and every reigning champion, but in the eyes of Griffin, the confidence that the Seahawks are showcasing right now wouldn’t be possible without the team’s head coach and general manager.
“What John Schneider did and what coach Mike Macdonald did is they created a system,” he explained. “They created a running system with young players and even bringing on vets to bring better leadership and show what it looks like. When you have a system like that, that’s called a dynasty. There’s a new Seahawks in town.”
In other words, Seattle is officially putting the league on notice. They may not have a quarterback who’s quite as talented as Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady, but they also know that Darnold isn’t the only one who is competing on the field, so as long as he’s surrounded by adequate playmakers, it’s safe to say that they like their odds.
