Sam Darnold: From Troy to Super Bowl LX

User Goal: This page tracks Sam Darnold's complete football journey from USC Trojan star to Super Bowl LX quarterback. After a breakout 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings (4,319 yards, 35 TDs, Pro Bowl), Darnold signed with the Seattle Seahawks and led them to Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots on February 8, 2026.

Complete Career Statistics

Sam Darnold's passing statistics by season, from USC through the 2025 NFL playoffs. Data sourced from ESPN, Pro Football Reference, and NFL.com (January 2026).

Year	Team	Games	Comp	Att	Yards	TD	INT	Rating	Notes
2016	USC	13	246	366	3,086	31	9	161.1	Rose Bowl MVP
2017	USC	14	303	480	4,143	26	13	148.1	Pac-12 Champ MVP
2018	NYJ	13	239	414	2,865	17	15	77.6	#3 overall pick
2019	NYJ	13	273	441	3,024	19	13	84.3	Career high (then)
2020	NYJ	12	217	364	2,208	9	11	72.7	Jets finish 2-14
2021	CAR	12	214	349	2,527	9	13	71.9	Shoulder injury
2022	CAR	6	82	140	1,143	7	3	92.6	Final 6 weeks
2023	SF	10	28	46	297	2	1	89.9	Backup to Purdy
2024	MIN	17	361	545	4,319	35	12	102.5	Pro Bowl
2025	SEA	17	342	521	4,048	25	14	99.1	Regular season
2025	SEA	3	49	70	594	5	0	117.2	Playoffs

Sources: ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com, NFL.com, StatMuse.com — Data verified January 2026

USC Trojan Legacy

Sam Darnold arrived at USC in 2015 and redshirted his first year. By 2016, he had taken over as the starting quarterback and led the Trojans to nine consecutive victories, capped by a legendary Rose Bowl performance against Penn State.

Darnold's college career at USC (2016-2017) — the records and accolades that made him the #3 overall pick.

Season	Record	Pass Yards	TD	Comp %	Bowl Game	Key Achievement
2016	10-3	3,086	31	67.2%	Rose Bowl W 52-49	5 TD passes, 473 total yards (Rose Bowl records)
2017	11-3	4,143	26	63.1%	Cotton Bowl L 24-7	Pac-12 Championship Game MVP

Darnold was the first freshman ever to win the Archie Griffin Award (nation's most valuable player). He set USC's freshman record with 31 touchdown passes and became the first Trojan QB to throw five touchdowns in back-to-back games since Matt Leinart in 2004.

The Darnold Redemption Arc

Comparing Darnold's career eras:

Era	Years	TD:INT	Rating
Jets	2018-20	45:39	78.6
Panthers	2021-22	16:16	79.8
49ers	2023	2:1	89.9
Vikings	2024	35:12	102.5
Seahawks	2025	30:14	101.8

From "Bust" to Super Bowl

After being labeled a bust following his Jets tenure, Darnold's career seemed destined for journeyman status. His year backing up Brock Purdy in San Francisco transformed his approach.

The 2024 Vikings season was his redemption:

4,319 yards 35 touchdowns 102.5 passer rating

Now with Seattle, Darnold has posted a 5 TD, 0 INT playoff run, including 346 yards and 3 TDs in the NFC Championship. The former Trojan returns to California for Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium.

Fight On! ✌️

Football Statistics Glossary

Passer Rating: NFL formula (0-158.3 scale) measuring quarterback efficiency based on completions, yards, touchdowns, and interceptions per attempt. A rating above 100 is considered excellent.
Completion Percentage (Comp %): The percentage of pass attempts that result in completed catches. The NFL average is typically around 64-65%.
TD:INT Ratio: The ratio of touchdown passes to interceptions thrown. A ratio above 2:1 indicates strong decision-making and ball security.
Yards Per Game (Y/G): Average passing yards per game played. Elite quarterbacks typically average 250+ yards per game over a full season.
Rose Bowl: Historic college football bowl game played annually in Pasadena, CA. Known as "The Granddaddy of Them All," it traditionally features Pac-12 vs Big Ten matchups.
Pro Bowl: The NFL's annual all-star game featuring the league's top players as voted by fans, players, and coaches. Selection indicates elite performance.