Darnold trying to accomplish something that's eluded fellow QBs from '18 draft

Sam Darnold will be starting in the Super Bowl before Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and the rest of the NFL's Class of 2018 quarterbacks. It took Darnold five teams and eight seasons to get here. Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to a 14-3 record, a division title, the No. 1 seed and was at his best in the NFC championship game. Despite an oblique injury, Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in Seattle's 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. He completed 25 of 36 passes and had no turnovers. "He just shut a lot of people up," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. "Really happy for him." Labeled a bust early in his career, Darnold was still doubted by critics following his impressive turnaround. Now, he's one win away from hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Seahawks are 4 1/2-point favorites over the New England Patriots on BetMGM Sportsbook. Darnold was picked No. 3 overall by the New York Jets in 2018. Baker Mayfield went first to the Cleveland Browns. Allen went to the Buffalo Bills at No. 7. Josh Rosen was chosen 10th by the Arizona Cardinals. The Baltimore Ravens selected Jackson with the final pick of the first round at No. 32. Jackson has won two AP NFL MVP awards and is 0-1 in the AFC championship game. Allen is the reigning NFL MVP and twice lost to the Chiefs in the AFC title game. Mayfield led the Browns to their only playoff victory this century and has won two division titles and one playoff game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his fourth team. Rosen was traded by Arizona after going 3-10 as a rookie and is out of the NFL after starting just three more games. Darnold's success doesn't make others failures. Football is a team sport and there are several reasons why Allen, Jackson and Mayfield have come up short. Both Allen and Jackson saw their coaches fired this month because their teams didn't live up to expectations. Darnold's story is about perseverance and redemption. It's another clear example why coaching matters. Darnold struggled mightily during three seasons with the Jets playing for coaches Todd Bowles and Adam Gase, and offensive coordinators Jeremy Bates and Dowell Loggains. His 78.2 passer rating during that time ranked third worst among 53 QBs with at least 500 attempts. Darnold went to Carolina and played two seasons for coaches Matt Rhule and Steve Wilks, and coordinators Jeff Nixon, Joe Brady and Ben McAdoo. None of them could unlock his potential. He didn't have the right coaching or supporting cast, and his teams lacked stability. Then he spent a season with Kyle Shanahan and assistants Klint and Klay Kubiak in San Francisco in 2023. Darnold backed up Brock Purdy on a 49ers team that reached the Super Bowl. He got a chance to watch, learn and study in an environment that fostered growth. Shanahan praised Darnold's arm talent, his ability to read defenses and run the offensive scheme. Darnold went to Minnesota and thrived under coach Kevin O'Connell. He had a breakthrough season in 2024, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 TDs while having a 102.5 passer rating and leading the Vikings to 14 wins. But Minnesota chose to stick with J.J. McCarthy, whose injury opened the door for Darnold to play and flourish. Based off his success with the Vikings, the Seahawks gave Darnold a three-year, $100.5 million contract to replace Geno Smith. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to lead two different teams to 14 wins in consecutive seasons. Tom Brady did it with the Patriots. "We believe in him. The building believes in him. The city believes in him. It's awesome to run out onto the field with him," All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said. Darnold has come a long way since telling coaches he was "seeing ghosts" during a lopsided loss to the Patriots in his second season. "There was a lot that I didn't know back then, so I'm just going to continue to learn and grow in this great game," Darnold said. "There is a lot of stuff that I can get better from today even. I feel like I missed some throws out there that I shouldn't miss. There were some things offensively that I feel like we can do better. So, we're always looking to get better. I'm always looking to get better. That's the great part about this game is you win an NFC championship and you win games throughout the season, but there is always ways that you can look to get better." ___ On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl