Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold took an interesting and unique path to winning his first Super Bowl. After toiling for many years after being a first-round draft pick in 2018, and after two teams had given up on him, Darnold was somewhat lost on the high seas of the NFL.
He decided to go to the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, and he knew that he would be a backup to starting quarterback Brock Purdy. It was what Darnold would learn in practice that mattered to him, though, and he explained as much on a recent podcast.
Beginning at the one-hour and nearly 12-minute mark of a recent Bussin' with the Boys episode, Darnold discussed many different aspects of his football life. One point he definitely wanted to make is how great an experience he had with the 49ers, and how choosing to go there changed his career arc.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold thankful for his time with the San Francisco 49ers
"You guys saw what Mac Jones did (last season)," Darnold said. "I understood what quarterbacks in that system, quarterbacks with Kyle (Shanahan), you look at Brock (and) all the success he's had there, quarterbacks just thrive in that system...Getting to know that system and getting to know those coaches, that's why I decided to be the backup in San Francisco...I feel like I got my PhD in football when I went to San Francisco. That was such a blessing for me to learn from Kyle, Brian Griese, the Kubiaks, Klay and Klint."
Darnold, maybe because of all the abuse he received on social media during his past failures and going from presumed starter to backup, is one of the more humble starting quarterbacks in the league. He doesn't discuss his greatness, but is far more thankful about the opportunities he has had and still does.
He's been fortunate as well as smart, though. His season under Kyle Shanahan made him better. The following year, he would play for the Minnesota Vikings under head coach Kevin O'Connell. That improved Darnold even more. Thankfully, all the hard work and difficult lessons paid off for the Seattle Seahawks.
Darnold wasn't the best QB in the league last season after signing a three-year deal worth as much as $100.5 million, but he was an excellent fit in Klint Kubiak's system. The duo worked well together because Darnold played under Kubiak with the 49ers, and both were acolytes of Kyle Shanahan's system, while Kyle was from the excellent coaching tree of his father, Mike.
Kubiak left this past offseason to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, but Sam Darnold shouldn't need to change much, if at all, in the new Seattle offensive system. That's because general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald hired another San Francisco 49ers coach to be the new offensive coordinator.
Brian Fleury will take over as OC, and he will bring with him Kyle Shanahan's scheme. That means Seattle fans should expect more high-end efficiency from their favorite team's starting quarterback.
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