After three seasons withGeno Smithas the team's top quarterback, the Seattle Seahawks made a critical change during the 2025 NFL offseason.
Seattle traded Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round draft pick. To replace him, the Seahawks signed another journeyman, inking a three-year deal withSam Darnoldto be the team's next quarterback.
Few knew exactly what to make of Darnold signing with the Seahawks. He was coming off the best season of his career with theMinnesota Vikings, but many wondered whether he would be a one-year wonder after struggling late in the season.
The Seahawks were undeterred by Darnold's late-season struggles or the fact he was joining his fourth team in as many seasons. Seattle's faith was rewarded by another strong season from Darnold and a trip toSuper Bowl 60under his leadership.
Darnold's performance and efficiency have led many to wonder exactly why teams in the quarterback doldrums – the New York Jets andCarolina Panthers– or the Minnesota Vikings, who reached impressive heights with him as their starter in 2024, would move on from a player of his caliber.
Here's why the Jets, Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Vikings parted with Darnold and ultimately led him to his current perch with the Seahawks.
Super Bowl VII (Dolphins 14, Washington 7): Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Manny Fernandez (75) tackles Washington running back Larry Brown (43) in Super Bowl VII at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Dolphins completed a 17-0 undefeated season with the win." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl XVI (49ers 26, Bengals 21): San Francisco 49ers defensive back Ronnie Lott (42) celebrates a goal line stand against the Cincinnati Bengals during Super Bowl XVI at the Silverdome." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl XVII (Washington 27, Dolphins 17): Washington running back John Riggins (44) breaks loose from Miami Dolphins defensive back Don McNeal (28) on a 43-yard touchdown run during Super Bowl XVII at the Rose Bowl." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl XVIII (Raiders 38, Washington 9): Los Angeles Raiders running back Marcus Allen (32) carries the ball against Washington safety Mark Murphy (29) during Super Bowl XVIII at Tampa Stadium." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl XXII (Washington 42, Broncos 10): Washington quarterback Doug Williams (17) looks to throw against the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl XXII at Jack Murphy Stadium." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl XXIV (49ers 55, Broncos 10) : San Francisco 49ers running back Roger Craig (33) celebrates with teammates against the Denver Broncos at the Superdome. The 55 points scored by the 49ers remains a Super Bowl record." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl XXVI (Washington 37, Bills 24): Washington cornerback Alvoid Mays (20) hits Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly (12), causing him to fumble during Super Bowl XXVI at the Metrodome." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl XL (Steelers 21, Seahawks 10): Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward jumps in the air and scores after catching a 43-yard touchdown pass from fellow wideout Antwaan Randle El." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl 51 (Patriots 34, Falcons 28 - OT): New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman hauls in a catch off a deflected pass that would help New England mount the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. The game also featured the first ever overtime in a Super Bowl." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl 53 (Patriots 13, Rams 3): Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore makes a pivotal interception in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. With the win, the Patriots tied the Steelers for most Super Bowl victories (six)." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl 55 (Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9): Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski spikes the football after catching a touchdown pass during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl 56 (Rams 23, Bengals 20): Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp catches the game-winning touchdown pass as Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple defends at SoFi Stadium." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl 57 (Chiefs 38, Eagles 35): The Chiefs' Kadarius Toney (19) is tackled by the Philadelphia Eagles' Nakobe Dean (17) and Arryn Siposs (8) after a Super Bowl-record 65-yard punt return at State Farm Stadium." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl 58 (Chiefs 25, 49ers 22, OT): Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. (12) celebrates with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after the game-winning touchdown in overtime against the San Francisco 49ers." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Super Bowl photos: Most memorable moments from Super Sunday
How long has Sam Darnold been in the NFL?
Darnold has played eight NFL seasons to date. The 28-year-old was a first-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft and was just 21 years old during his rookie season.
To date, Darnold has played in 100 regular-season NFL games with 90 starts. Super Bowl 60 will mark his fourth-ever playoff start, and all of them have come within the last two seasons.
How many teams has Sam Darnold played for?
Darnold has played for five different teams during his eight-year NFL career. He started his career with the New York Jets before being traded to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2021 NFL season.
Darnold has spent the last four seasons with four different teams. He was with the Panthers in 2022 before playing for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 and finally finding a long-term home with the Seattle Seahawks in 2025.
Sam Darnold career timeline
New York Jets (2018-20)
Darnold was selected by the Jets with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after enjoying a standout college career at USC. He was the second of five quarterbacks chosen in the first round that year, behindBaker Mayfieldand ahead ofJosh Allen, Josh Rosen andLamar Jackson.
Darnold endured a rocky three seasons with the Jets. As a rookie, he became the youngest Week 1 starter (21 years, 91 days) since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger and endured an up-and-down campaign. He led the Jets to just a 4-9 record and completed just 57.7% of his passes for 2,865 yards, 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Darnold never showed significant improvement with the Jets and enduring a particularly trying 2019 season. He missed three of the team's first four games because of a bout with mononucleosis before enduring the worst game of his career Week 7.
Darnold completed just 11 of 32 passes for 86 yards and four interceptions against the New England Patriots. He famously acknowledgedhe was "seeing ghosts"while mic'd up for "Monday Night Football," and that became one of the low points of his career.
Darnold shaped up over the second half of his second season, leading the Jets to a 7-6 record in his 13 starts, but the wheels fell off for him in 2020. The Jets went just 2-10 with him at quarterback, as he threw more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (9) across his 12 starts.
The Jets finished the 2020 season with a 2-14 record. They earned the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, fired coach Adam Gase after two disastrous seasons and brought in Robert Saleh to be the team's new head coach.
Entering his fourth NFL season, the Jets were also faced with a decision as to whether or not they'd pick up Darnold's fifth-year option that offseason, further complicating the Jets' future plans at passer and forcing them into a situation to take on additional risk if he continued to scuffle.
All of that, plus Darnold's 13-25 record across three seasons with the team, prompted the Jets to plan a change at quarterback. They traded Darnold to the Carolina Panthers in early April of 2021 for three draft picks before spending their top draft pick onZach Wilson.
"I want to publicly acknowledge the commitment, dedication, and professionalism Sam displayed while with the Jets. He is a tough-minded, talented football player whose NFL story has not been written yet," then-Jets general managerJoe Douglas said in a statement. "While all these things are true, this move is in the short- and long-term best interests for both this team and him. We thank Sam for all of his work on behalf of this organization and wish him well as he continues his career."
Darnold ended his time with the Jets having completed 59.8% of his passes for 8,097 yards, 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions across 38 games (all starts).
Carolina Panthers (2021-22)
Darnold entered the 2021 NFL season as Carolina's starting quarterback. He earned a victory over the Jets in Week 1, completing 24 of 35 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown in the 19-14 win.
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From there, turnovers and injuries once again became a bugaboo for Darnold. He tossed 13 interceptions and just nine touchdowns across 12 games (11 starts) and missed five games because of a shoulder injury.
Darnold's poor performance prompted the Panthers to trade for Baker Mayfield to create more competition at quarterback ahead of the 2022 season. Mayfield won the team's starting job and a preseason ankle injury forced Darnold to miss the start of the regular season.
Upon Darnold's return in November, PJ Walker had emerged as the starter. Darnold eventually replaced him and put together a strong, six-game stretch to close the season. He completed 58.6% of his passes for 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions while posting a 4-2 record.
Darnold was set to be a free agent after the 2022 NFL season. The Panthers decided not to retain him after trading up for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, where they selectedBryce Youngto be the team's starting quarterback.
San Francisco 49ers (2023)
The 49ers inked Darnold to a one-year deal in free agency to add depth at the quarterback position. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was complimentary of Darnold after he landed with the organization.
"Sam has as good of a skill set as there is," Shanahan said, perESPN. "That's why he was the third pick of the draft. … I don't think he's always been in the best situations, which is tough for quarterbacks."
Darnold also acknowledged "being in a really good organization was a priority," which made the 49ers a natural fit.
Darnold was able to beatTrey Lance– the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft – out for the backup job behindBrock Purdy.
Darnold only made one start in 2023 in relief of Purdy. He completed 28 of 46 passes (60.8%) for 297 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in his limited action, but credited his year with the organization as being a big help in his development.
"It was huge," Darnold said about his 49ers stint ahead of his 2024 season with the Vikings, perNBC Sports Bay Area. "Just being able to learn how they do things over there, not only schematically, but as an organization. It was great to be a part of [it] for a year. The season we had last year was amazing to be a part of."
Darnold went to the Super Bowl during his lone season with the 49ers, serving as Purdy's backup in San Francisco's 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Minnesota Vikings (2024)
Darnold became a free agent again after his one-year pact with the 49ers expired. He received renewed interest as a potential starter and eventually signed another one-year deal, this time to play for the Vikings.
The Vikings also spent a 2024 first-round pick onJ.J. McCarthy, so Darnold was expected to be a bridge quarterback. That said, he enjoyed a stellar year in Kevin O'Connell's offense, completing a career-best 66.2% of his passes for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record.
While Darnold played well enough to make the Pro Bowl, his final two games with the Vikings left a bit to be desired. He combined to complete 43 of 81 passes for 411 yards, one touchdown and one interception while absorbing a whopping 11 sacks in two critical losses against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
The Vikings ultimately decided to move on from Darnold during the offseason. The idea was to give McCarthy – who missed his entire rookie season because of a knee injury – a chance to prove himself as a starter while allocating the resources that would have been spent on Darnold to other areas of needs on the roster.
After McCarthy struggled during his first year as a starter in 2025, and Darnold made the Super Bowl with the Seahawks, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was left reckoning with that decision just weeks before being fired.
"There are nights you wake up and stare at the ceiling and ask yourself (about the decisions you make),""Adofo-Mensah said, perThe Athletic. "I always go back to the process and what we thought at the time. It's easy to go and be revisionist and be results-based. I still understand why we did what we did. The results maybe didn't play out the way we wanted them to."
Seattle Seahawks
After his career year with the Vikings, Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks in free agency. He quickly picked up where he left off in Minnesota, proving to be a natural fit in Klint Kubiak's offense and quickly building chemistry withJaxon Smith-Njigbato create an efficient offense.
Darnold once again was a Pro Bowler, logged his second consecutive 4,000-yard season and joined Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to win 14 games in back-to-back seasons.
Now, he will look to cap off his dream season in Seattle with a Super Bowl 60 victory.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sam Darnold career timeline: Why Jets, Vikings, more let QB walk
