Unbelievably, Sam Darnold is one win away from going down in NFL history.
Just a couple of years removed from looking like a career backup — at best — Darnold is suddenly looking like a star for the Seahawks entering Super Bowl 2026.
A lot of Darnold’s breakout has to do with his big-play ability, which he’s flashed since taking the starting job in Minnesota last season.
After throwing a ton of deep balls to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in 2024, Darnold had 16 pass plays of at least 33 yards during the regular season this year, which was tied for the sixth-most in the NFL.
A big chunk of those took place in close or big games, proving that Klint Kubiak likes to take shots in the most important moments.
During the NFC Championship game against the Rams, Darnold connected with Rashid Shaheed, his newest weapon on the outside, on a 51-yard pass on the first drive of the game.
A quarter later, he hit just-minted NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 42 yards.
Seattle has also stumbled into a secret weapon in the pass game — Kenneth Walker — late in the season, with his ridiculous speed.
During the Seahawks’ last regular-season game against the Rams, Darnold completed a short pass to Walker, who took off for 46 yards.
Betting on the NFL?
In all but one one-score game this season, Darnold had a pass of at least 32 yards.
While oddsmakers and the betting public alike are anticipating that this game could get out of hand, I still expect Darnold to show off his arm at least once on Sunday with a SportsCenter-worthy completion.
The play: Sam Darnold longest completion over 32.5 yards (-130, DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.