Quarterbacks grab all the headlines, for good or bad, but they simply cannot do it all by themselves in this ultimate team sport.
Tom Brady regularly had, and needed, a top-10 defence on his side to win Super Bowls, while Patrick Mahomes lost two of them because he was soundly beaten up by opposing defences.
In Seattle, Darnold found the perfect storm of a team on the up and a defensive head coach assembling a crack unit that would go on to dominate the NFL, needing just a solid quarterback to steer the offence.
Having the league’s leading receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker also helped, and plenty will say Darnold did not have to do much.
He became the first quarterback to enjoy successive 14-win seasons with two different teams – only Brady had managed it with one – but still there were questions as he led the league in turnovers, giving the ball away 20 times.
Around 80% of play-off games are won by teams with the fewest turnovers. In Super Bowls the record was 40-7 when winning the turnover battle.
Darnold has the fourth most giveaways in the NFL since being drafted (106) despite spending two years as a back-up, so once again he had to prove himself as he was written off as a liability before even entering the post-season.
The response was remarkable as Darnold’s Seattle became the first Super Bowl champions without a single turnover in the play-offs.
He answered the mental questions of facing the Rams again with 346 yards and three touchdowns, before doing just enough in the Super Bowl itself.
Was it flashy? No. MVP worthy? Not even close. But Darnold, now 28, did what he had to – he kept hold of the ball, made plays when needed and managed the game without ego or trying to be the hero.
No quarterback has won a Super Bowl having played for five teams before, but then no quarterback has been counted out so many times and got back to the top.
Luck has played a part, teams like Minnesota and Seattle took a chance and the Seahawks have furnished Darnold with everything he could possibly want in a team – and maybe there’s a hatful of quarterbacks in the league who could have won a Super Bowl with them this season.
None have been where Darnold has though and not many have done more to earn it. His redemption story really is one for the ages.
