Sam Darnold. Remember that name, because our guy took the Seattle Seahawks from a journeyman backup situation to back-to-back 14-3 seasons and a Super Bowl championship last year! Yeah, you heard that right, a Lombardi Trophy is chilling right here in the Emerald City, and Darnold, who dropped five touchdown passes with zero interceptions in the playoffs, is the absolute reason why. It’s wild to think about how far he’s come, especially when you consider how many people across the league try to control the storylines and figure out who’s playing for Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14.
The Champ is Here, But the NFC West is Loaded
Look, they say quarterbacks have the strongest influence on the final result, and Darnold proved that 100 times over for us. Going from where he was to leading us to a championship? That’s the kind of incredible story you write movies about, not just articles. But even with that Super Bowl ring shining bright, the 2026 NFL season isn’t going to be a cakewalk. Not even close! Our Seahawks are staring down a stacked NFC West, maybe the toughest division in football. We’ve got the Rams, who are apparently going “Super Bowl or bust” this year. They made massive moves, trading for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie, and you know they’re absolutely itching to win a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Their QB, Matthew Stafford, is 38 and health is a big question mark, but those guys are a clear win-now push, and they’re going to come hard at the defending champs in their own division.
The League is Watching: Can Darnold Deliver Again?
While the rest of the league is buzzing about QBs like the Patriots’ Maye, who was an MVP and Super Bowl runner-up last year with 31 touchdown passes and new weapons like A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, or Buffalo’s Allen, who just turned 30 and is trying to get playoff games into their new stadium after winning at least one playoff game for six years straight, our focus is right here. Can Darnold find that same incredible success? He was a journeyman backup just two years ago, now he’s the guy leading the charge for the Emerald City. The Bills lost in overtime at Denver after winning in Jacksonville last season, and they’ve got D.J. Moore as a new weapon, all looking for deep playoff runs or MVP conversations. But none of that changes our mission: proving that last year wasn’t a fluke. We’re the defending champs, remember? Everyone in the NFC West, especially the Rams and the 49ers, are gunning for us. The Patriots are facing a first-place schedule this year, and you better believe so are we. Validating that success with more of the same, that’s the ultimate challenge for Darnold and this team.
So what’s next for our Seahawks? Every single game this season is going to be about defending that hard-won title. Darnold, Coach Macdonald, and the whole crew are going to have to prove it all over again, week in and week out. The road to Super Bowl LXI on February 14th at SoFi Stadium is officially ON, and it starts now. Get ready to scream, 12s, because this season is gonna be epic! Let’s go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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