Darnold’s path to this moment began with the 49ers in 2023, where he served as a backup and started only a Week 18 game amid limited playoff implications. He departed San Francisco as a free agent in 2024, then earned a starting opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings following an injury to J.J. McCarthy, before landing with Seattle.
“It’s funny how it works,” Darnold said, explaining how his time in San Francisco helped reshape his career. “I didn’t play great football the first few years of my career. Then I come here to San Francisco, and I learned a ton. Learn from Brock and coach (Kyle) Shanahan, and I was able to kind of learn and go to Minnesota and play good football there. I was able to come to Seattle and do the same.”
The moment carried extra meaning for Darnold, who described the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium as a special full-circle experience. “It’s a cool full-circle moment,” he said, noting how meaningful it was to compete and win at the venue associated with his SF tenure.
Seattle’s playoff path built toward this moment: a Week 18 win over the 49ers to secure the No. 1 seed, a Divisional Round victory over San Francisco, and an NFC Championship win that sent the Seahawks back to the Bay Area for the Super Bowl, where Darnold and his teammates cemented the arc of his career.
After the game, Darnold became emotional recalling the support of his family. “Me and my dad don’t really cry very often,” he said, adding that his parents’ belief in him helped him believe in himself “almost ad nauseam.” The veteran quarterback credited that backing, along with the faith he found during his years in the Bay Area, for propelling him to the sport’s highest stage.
