Sam Darnold is playing in the 2026 Super Bowl today as the quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, and his story is definitely an interesting one.

The 28-year-old QB was actually a backup quarterback for a few years after being traded away from the New York Jets. He eventually landed with the Vikings, who drafted a rookie QB in 2024, J.J. McCarthy. J.J., however, suffered a season-ending injury and could not play.

Sam took over as the starter for the Vikings in the 2024 season, and had a strong showing. However, in 2025, the team had to make a decision about their future at quarterback.

Keep reading to find out more…

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero explained why Sam ended up leaving the Vikings in 2025 to play for the Seahawks, where he’s now in-line to win the team the Super Bowl.

“The Vikings did not simply let Sam Darnold walk. My understanding is they actually made a pretty similar offer to Sam Darnold to the one he ultimately accepted — three years, $100.5 million — with the Seahawks. Now, it was only a one-year commitment, as Seattle’s offer was, on paper. Part of the reason the Vikings weren’t willing to go further than that had less to do with the way Sam Darnold played in their final two games last year than the fact that they believe in their first-round pick from a year ago, J.J. McCarthy, who would not have had an opportunity to compete for the job,” Tom shared.

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