Seahawks' Sam Darnold first quarterback in star-studded 2018 draft class to reach Super Bowl

Sam Darnold’s travel to a Super Bowl has been a agelong and winding one.

Darnold was the No. 3 wide prime of the 2018 NFL Draft retired of USC by the New York Jets. He was the 2nd backmost taken down Baker Mayfield and was a portion of an epic rookie people astatine the backmost position. Josh Allen, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson were besides taken successful the archetypal round.

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Seattle Seahawks backmost Sam Darnold lifts the winner's trophy adjacent to Michael Strahan, left, aft a triumph implicit the Los Angeles Rams successful the NFC Championship NFL shot crippled Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, successful Seattle. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Mason Rudolph, Mike White and Luke Falk were besides quarterbacks from that draught people that earned starts during their careers.

If anyone took a peek astatine Darnold’s vocation done his archetypal 8 years, it reads much similar a journeyman backmost alternatively than 1 that a franchise was astir to stake on. He played 3 seasons with the Jets earlier the franchise grew impatient and traded him away.

From there, Darnold was connected the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings. He took the Vikings to the playoffs aft a vocation twelvemonth and lone built up connected it erstwhile helium signed a three-year woody with Seattle to regenerate Geno Smith.

Darnold had 4,048 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns arsenic Seattle went 14-3 and earned the apical effect successful the NFL playoffs.

Seattle Seahawks backmost Sam Darnold (14) is sacked by Los Angeles Rams antiaircraft extremity Braden Fiske (55) during the archetypal fractional of the NFC Championship NFL shot crippled Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, successful Seattle.  (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

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Now, he’s the archetypal backmost from his draught people to gain a Super Bowl appearance.

"You can’t speech astir the crippled without talking astir our quarterback," Seahawks caput manager Mike Macdonald said. "He unopen a batch of radical up tonight, truthful I’m blessed for him."

Darnold played done an oblique wounded and was 25-of-36 for 346 yards without a turnover.

"Can’t accidental capable astir Sam, man," Seahawks prima Jaxson Smith-Njigba said. "It’s been a large archetypal year. We got 1 much to go. But for him to flooded what helium had to overcome, I’m riding with Sam each day."

Seattle Seahawks backmost Sam Darnold warms up earlier the NFC Championship NFL shot crippled against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, successful Seattle. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Now, the Seahawks volition play successful Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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