The Seattle Seahawks will play the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl LX for all the marbles. Also, it can be seen as a redemption game for quarterback Sam Darnold, who went from backup to franchise quarterback. Still, he doesnāt see it that way, or at least thatās what he said to the media.
The third overall pick in 2018, Darnoldās hype when he got drafted was big. After failing to solidify in the New York Jets, he became a backup quarterback for the Panthers and Niners. After a redemption season with the Vikings, Darnold signed for the Seahawks and his first season was so stellar, the team is at the verge of a Super Bowl title.
For Darnold, though, itās not his story, itās his job. āItās always just been about putting in hard work, every single day. Hard work and all the dedication and hours I put in in the offseason, during the season, it leads to this moment. Thatās the mindset I have, and really the mindset Iāve had my entire career,ā Darnold said to the media.
Having top-tier weapons helped Darnold quite a lot
Make no mistake about it, Darnold failed to play great in his first few years. However, itās no coincidence that his two best years came when he was finally given two certified wide receivers to work with. He didnāt have that in New York, nor in Carolina. He barely played in one year in San Francisco and then it all changed.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba #11 of the Seattle Seahawks
At Minnesota, Darnold found an incredible ally in Justin Jefferson. Now in Seattle, Darnold found Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Now, to be fair to Darnold, everyone saw how Justin Jefferson struggled with JJ McCarthy this season. Also, JSN had the best year of his career with Darnold under center. Itās symbiotic.

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Seahawks vs Patriots poll: Choose your favorite player by position ahead of 2026 Super Bowl LX
Seattle is favored over the Patriots in the Super Bowl
Drake Maye is not the Super Bowl MVP favorite, and the Patriots arenāt favored either. In fact, Seattle comes as a five-point favorite to win Super Bowl LX. Darnold might not be the biggest reason for it, but he is key in the Seahawksā success.
However, Darnold had some turnover issues this season, ending as the third-most intercepted quarterback in the NFL regular season. If he manages to avoid turnovers in this game, he could very well earn the Super Bowl MVP and give Seattle another ring.





