The Seattle Seahawks made a big gamble in the offseason. Even after a 14-3 season with the Minnesota Vikings, the ghosts surrounding Sam Darnold -- no pun intended -- were too worrisome to ignore.
General manager John Schneider rolled the dice and gave him a three-year, $100 million deal that now looks like a bargain. But even after everything he's done in his first season at Lumen Field, some still believed he was the weakest link on the team and the only player who could have held it back in the Super Bowl.
His early struggles cemented the narrative around him, and watching four organizations move on from him didn't help. However, when asked whether this was a chance for him to feel vindicated, Darnold gave everyone a lesson.
Sam Darnold doesn't care about vindication with the Seattle Seahawks
“I think it doesn’t really come down to that for me,” Darnold said, per Seahawks insider Gregg Bell. “It’s always been about putting in the hard work every single day. And sometimes hard work and all the dedication, the hours I’ve put in in the offseason and in the season, it leads to this moment, you know? That’s kind of the mindset I have. And really, the mindset I’ve had my entire career.”
Darnold is probably the easiest guy to root for in the league right now. He went from being a top-five pick and the face of a franchise to backing up the literal last pick of the NFL Draft. Instead of complaining or taking shots at his former teams, he put his head down, got to work, and made the most of every opportunity he got.
It's easier to be resentful, but that's not what he's about. He does have a chip on his shoulder, clearly, but he's trying to prove himself right as opposed to proving his detractors wrong. It takes plenty of mental strength and maturity to take the high road after everything he's been through.
Of course, all his former teams must regret how they handled him back then. That's especially true for the Minnesota Vikings, a team that may not have a franchise quarterback and just let its general manager go after he passed on Darnold in free agency. Still, that's not what he plays or why he tries to get better every single day.
Darnold is another example of how being in the right place and with the right people can make or break a player. He's proof of how more often than not, organizations fail players more than they fail their organizations.