Sam Darnold has changed minds. He might not have ever needed to change New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel's though. The Pats head man seems quite high on the Seattle Seahawks quarterback. At least, that was his implication while speaking to the media ahead of Super Bowl LX.
Of course, no coach worth his salt is going to dismiss a player on another team, but it was more what Vrabel said between the lines that mattered most. Not only does the Pats coach think Darnold is good, but, well...
"There's a willingness to stand in the pocket, and there's a willingness to progress through (his reads)," said Vrabel. "A lot of talent. I think his courage to stand in there. I mean, the Rams nailed him, and he completed an unbelievable pass to Cooper (Kupp) on the sidelines. (Darnold) didn't shy away, he didn't duck, didn't fade back. He stood there and faced the fire, which is what you have to do in this league if you're gonna be an elite quarterback."
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel implies Seattle Seahawks' Sam Darnold is an elite quarterback
There. Vrabel said it without saying it: Sam Darnold has become an elite quarterback. It might have taken the quarterback more than six years, and through a myriad of teams and offensive coordinators, but he has achieved what many hoped for him when he was the third overall pick in the 2018 draft.
He washed out with the New York Jets in three seasons, but many players do that. The Jets' issue seems to be more about the franchise's culture than any specific player or two.
Mike Vrabel is very complimentary of Sam Darnold #NEPats #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/azXJd7cQ8m
— Sara Marshall (@smarshxo) February 3, 2026
The same happened with his next team, the Carolina Panthers. At the time, Carolina was one of the worst teams in the league, even though it had both Darnold and Baker Mayfield at quarterback. Darnold was adrift on the NFL's seas by that point, and only accidentally got his chance to prove he could be a good starter with the Minnesota Vikings after presumed starter J.J. McCarthy was hurt in the preseason.
Thankfully for the Seattle Seahawks, Sam Darnold's excellence wasn't done after one season. He has been even better in 2025. The hope is that it continues in the Super Bowl as well.
Mike Vrabel certainly appears ready for Darnold to be good. He basically called him an elite quarterback. That might not exactly be the case, but maybe the Seahawks quarterback doesn't need to be elite against the Patriots. He simply needs to be a tool in the Seattle machine that hasn't lost since November 16.