One of the narratives for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold this offseason was that he refused to disparage any fanbase of a team he played for before coming to Seattle. The QB bounced around the league a bit after being drafted by the New York Jets, and many doubted he was capable of winning important games.
That many seemingly were also never going to let Darnold live down the time he said he was "seeing ghosts" against the New England Patriots in an early-career blowout. He was never able to be good in New York, as the team overall wasn't good, and he then went to the underperforming Carolina Panthers team.
Darnold appeared lost on the seas of the NFL without hope of ever finding a team that wanted him to be a starter. He accidentally got a chance with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 after presumed starter J.J. McCarthy hurt his knee in the preseason. Darnold made the most of his chance to start and was quite good until the very end of the year.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold delivers an honest appreciation of New York Jets fans
The whole time, however, fans and national pundits kept not believing in the quarterback. He could be good at times in the regular season, but in high-stress moments, he would surely fail. He changed that thinking with the Seahawks this year.
Yet, never did Darnold utter a harsh word about fans of the teams he played for. He didn't hold a grudge against those who might have said negative things about him. He was, in many ways, the anti-Geno Smith, someone who seemed to need the hate directed at him.
At a recent fan event for Cane's, Darnold was asked by FanSided's Justin Fried if Sam Darnold had a message for New York Jets fans who had supported him throughout his career, even though he flamed out relatively quickly in New York. The quarterback took a second to think about his answer and then delivered one full of class.
"Thank you," Darnold wanted to say to those Jets fans. "I always look at myself and feel like I could’ve done a lot more for that franchise. The fact that (Jets fans) are able to support me even through that means a lot."
I asked Sam Darnold if he had a message to #Jets fans who have continued to support him:
— Justin Fried (@JustinTFried) February 10, 2026
“Thank you.”
“I always look at myself and feel like I could’ve done a lot more for that franchise.”
“The fact that [Jets fans] are able to support me even through that means a lot.” pic.twitter.com/AtOsbghHJN
Highly successful professional athletes, especially those who play positions that can lead to large egos, sometimes see themselves as bigger than a team and a fanbase. Darnold doesn't seem to have that gene. His humility and honesty, even after winning a Super Bowl, are impressive.
Those traits are one reason it is terribly difficult to dislike Darnold as a human being, but also easy to root for him as a player. Fortunately, Seattle Seahawks fans get to do both with Darnold being the quarterback of the team for the foreseeable future.