Sam Darnold’s NFL career has taken him through five teams and several very different roles. The former No. 3 overall pick began his career as the highly touted quarterback of the New York Jets, later played for the Carolina Panthers, spent a season as Brock Purdy’s backup with the San Francisco 49ers, revived his career with the Minnesota Vikings, and ultimately became the Seattle Seahawks’ starting quarterback. sam darnold teams.
As of September 2026, Darnold is entering his ninth NFL season and remains with Seattle. His journey is notable because it includes both the struggles associated with a young quarterback and a dramatic late-career resurgence.
Which teams has Sam Darnold played for?
Sam Darnold has played for five NFL teams:
- New York Jets — 2018–2020
- Carolina Panthers — 2021–2022
- San Francisco 49ers — 2023
- Minnesota Vikings — 2024
- Seattle Seahawks — 2025–present
He entered the NFL after the Jets selected him third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft out of USC. By the time he reached Seattle, he had experienced starting-quarterback pressure, injuries, a trade, a backup role and a Pro Bowl-level breakout season.
| Team | Seasons | Role / Career significance |
|---|---|---|
| New York Jets | 2018–2020 | First NFL starting opportunity |
| Carolina Panthers | 2021–2022 | Trade, injuries and late-season resurgence |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2023 | Backup and development year |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2024 | Breakout season and first Pro Bowl |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2025–present | Established veteran starter |
1. Sam Darnold with the New York Jets
Darnold began his NFL career with the New York Jets, who selected him third overall in 2018. Expectations were high because he was viewed as a potential franchise quarterback.
He started all 38 games he played during his three seasons with New York, finishing that portion of his career with 8,097 passing yards, 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions.
His best statistical season with the Jets came in 2019. He completed 273 of 441 passes for 3,024 yards, 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, producing an 84.3 passer rating.
However, the Jets years were also defined by inconsistency and difficult circumstances. Darnold entered the league under significant expectations but never established himself as the long-term answer in New York.
The experience nevertheless became an important part of his development. In retrospect, Darnold has described learning an important leadership lesson in New York: instead of trying to imitate what he thought a quarterback leader should look like, he needed to become more comfortable being himself.
2. Sam Darnold with the Carolina Panthers
The next chapter began in 2021, when the Jets traded Darnold to the Carolina Panthers.
He started 12 games during his first season in Carolina and produced 2,527 passing yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Injuries also interrupted his season. In 2022, Darnold initially entered the year behind Baker Mayfield but eventually returned to the starting lineup late in the season.
That late 2022 stretch became more important to his career than the overall numbers might suggest.
Darnold started the Panthers’ final six games that season, and Carolina went 4-2 in those games. He threw seven touchdown passes against three interceptions during that stretch and recorded a passer rating above 100 in four of those six contests.
That run gave Darnold something he had struggled to establish earlier in his career: evidence that he could operate an offense effectively and help a team win games.
It also helped keep his NFL career alive.
3. Sam Darnold with the San Francisco 49ers
In 2023, Darnold signed with the San Francisco 49ers.
Unlike his previous stops, he was not expected to immediately become the starting quarterback. Instead, he served primarily as the backup to Brock Purdy and appeared in 10 games, making one start. He completed 28 of 46 passes for 297 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Statistically, it was the quietest season of his career. Developmentally, however, it was extremely valuable.
Darnold spent the season learning within Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system and working alongside Purdy. He also reunited with Klint Kubiak, who was San Francisco’s passing game coordinator at the time and later became Seattle’s offensive coordinator.
The 49ers experience showed that quarterback development is not always about starting games. For Darnold, being a veteran backup provided an opportunity to study preparation, offensive structure and the small details of playing the position.
That experience would become particularly valuable the following year.
4. Sam Darnold with the Minnesota Vikings
The biggest turning point in Sam Darnold’s career came with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024.
Darnold signed with Minnesota as a free agent and entered the season with something to prove. Instead of merely becoming a temporary starter, he delivered the best statistical season of his NFL career.
He started all 17 games and led Minnesota to a 14-3 record, throwing for:
- 4,319 passing yards
- 35 touchdowns
- 12 interceptions
- 66.2% completion
- 102.5 passer rating
Those numbers earned Darnold his first Pro Bowl selection.
His 4,319 passing yards ranked among the strongest single-season totals in Vikings history, while his 35 touchdown passes helped establish him as a legitimate high-level NFL starter rather than simply a former first-round pick getting another opportunity.
The 2024 season also demonstrated how much his game had changed.
Darnold had previously been known for flashes of talent mixed with mistakes. In Minnesota, he showed improved command, confidence and consistency. The Vikings also benefited from his ability to attack downfield. Seattle noted that Darnold led the NFL in 2024 with 1,023 passing yards on throws of 20-plus air yards, along with 28 completions on such throws.
His success in Minnesota transformed his market value.
5. Sam Darnold with the Seattle Seahawks
Darnold’s next destination was the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle signed him on March 13, 2025, after trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Seahawks agreed to a reported three-year, $100.5 million contract with $55 million guaranteed.
This was a major change in how the NFL viewed Darnold.
Seven years earlier, he had entered the league as a highly drafted prospect whose potential had not yet translated consistently into production. By 2025, he was being paid as an established starting quarterback.
Darnold’s familiarity with Klint Kubiak was another important factor. The two had already worked together in San Francisco, giving Seattle’s offensive transition an existing connection.
How did Sam Darnold perform with the Seahawks in 2025?
Darnold started all 17 games for Seattle in 2025 and completed 323 of 477 passes for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, finishing with a 99.1 passer rating.
His 67.7% completion rate was a career high at the time, and his performance helped Seattle win a franchise-record 14 regular-season games and earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Seattle ultimately won Super Bowl LX, giving Darnold a championship during his first season with the organization.
The 2025 season also reinforced the idea that his Minnesota breakout was not simply a one-year anomaly.
Darnold was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year, and his Seahawks season pushed his career in a completely different direction from where it appeared to be heading after his Jets tenure.
Sam Darnold’s NFL career statistics by team
Across his first 100 NFL games through 2025, Darnold had thrown for 20,431 yards, 123 touchdowns and 82 interceptions, with a 62.3% completion rate and an 86.5 career passer rating.
| Team | Passing Yards | TDs | INTs | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 8,097 | 45 | 39 | — |
| Panthers | 3,670 | 16 | 16 | — |
| 49ers | 297 | 2 | 1 | 85.1 |
| Vikings | 4,319 | 35 | 12 | 102.5 |
| Seahawks | 4,048 | 25 | 14 | 99.1 |
Team totals and season figures are based on regular-season NFL statistics; the listed Jets and Panthers totals reflect the Seahawks’ official career biography figures.
What did Sam Darnold learn from each team?
Darnold’s career is more useful to understand as a development timeline than as a simple list of franchises.
With the Jets, he learned adversity and leadership. He faced enormous expectations as a first-round pick and eventually had to rethink how he approached leadership.
With the Panthers, he learned that he could win. His late-2022 run showed that he could lead an offense and produce efficient stretches of football.
With the 49ers, he learned preparation. Working behind Purdy and inside Shanahan’s system gave him an opportunity to focus on the finer details of quarterback play.
With the Vikings, he proved himself. The 2024 campaign turned his career from a comeback story into a legitimate starting-quarterback success story.
With the Seahawks, he entered a new stage. He was no longer simply trying to save his career. He was expected to lead an established NFL offense and became a veteran quarterback with experience across multiple systems.
Sam Darnold’s record as a starter
Through the 2025 regular season, Darnold’s career record as an NFL starter was 49-41, according to Pro Football Reference. His 2024 Vikings season accounted for a 14-3 starting record, while his 2025 Seahawks season also finished at 14-3.
That record is especially significant when compared with the 21-35 record he carried before arriving in Minnesota. His career trajectory changed dramatically after joining the Vikings.
Sam Darnold vs. Drake Maye stats
A comparison with Drake Maye is useful because both quarterbacks have become prominent young-to-prime NFL passers, although their career stages are different.
In the 2025 regular season, Darnold threw for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a 67.7% completion rate and a 99.1 passer rating. Maye recorded 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, with a 72.0% completion rate and a 113.5 passer rating.
source: ESPN.com
source: statmuse.com
| 2025 statistic | Sam Darnold | Drake Maye |
|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | 4,048 | 4,394 |
| Touchdowns | 25 | 31 |
| Interceptions | 14 | 8 |
| Completion rate | 67.7% | 72.0% |
| Passer rating | 99.1 | 113.5 |
The comparison should be treated as a snapshot rather than a prediction of either player’s career. Darnold entered 2025 with seven seasons of NFL experience, while Maye was still in the early stages of his professional development.
What is Sam Darnold’s college?
Sam Darnold played college football at USC, the University of Southern California.
He played two seasons after redshirting in 2015 and appeared in 27 games during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. His college success helped make him one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft, where the Jets selected him third overall.
Where does Sam Darnold stand in 2026?
As of September 10, 2026, Darnold remains a Seattle Seahawks quarterback. Seattle’s official roster lists him as the team’s No. 14 quarterback, and he has entered the 2026 season after establishing himself as a long-term veteran starter.
His 2026 regular-season statistics are still in the early stages, so the more meaningful measure of his current standing is the broader transformation of his career.
Darnold went from a highly drafted quarterback whose future appeared uncertain to a Pro Bowl quarterback, a Super Bowl-winning starter and a veteran leader trusted to run Seattle’s offense.
Why is Sam Darnold’s career resurgence important?
Sam Darnold’s career demonstrates how much can change when a quarterback gains experience, finds the right system and learns from difficult seasons rather than being defined by them.
His journey also shows why evaluating an NFL quarterback solely by his first few seasons can be misleading. Darnold’s development took several stages:
- High expectations with the Jets
- Adversity and a fresh opportunity in Carolina
- Learning and refinement with San Francisco
- Breakthrough production with Minnesota
- Veteran leadership and championship success in Seattle
That progression explains why the phrase “Sam Darnold teams” is more than a list of franchises. Each organization represented a different stage of his NFL development.
Today, the most important chapter is Seattle. Darnold is no longer the quarterback trying to prove that he belongs in the NFL. He is a veteran Seahawks starter whose experience across five teams has shaped his approach to preparation, leadership and quarterback play.
Final Takeaway
Sam Darnold has played for the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks.
His career began with enormous expectations in New York, continued through adversity in Carolina, included a developmental year in San Francisco, reached a breakthrough in Minnesota and ultimately led to Seattle.
The most important turning point was his 2024 Vikings season, when he threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, went 14-3 as a starter and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. His successful 2025 season with Seattle then confirmed that his resurgence was sustainable.
For a quarterback once viewed primarily through the lens of an early-career struggle, Darnold’s path to Seattle is a strong example of how experience, preparation and the right opportunity can reshape an NFL career.
Custom FAQs
Sam Darnold teams college: Where did he play college football?
Sam Darnold played college football at USC. He played two seasons for the Trojans after redshirting in 2015 and appeared in 27 games from 2016 through 2017. The New York Jets selected him third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
What is Sam Darnold’s record with the Seattle Seahawks?
Through the 2025 regular season, Darnold went 14-3 as Seattle’s starting quarterback. He started all 17 regular-season games in 2025 and helped Seattle earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed before winning Super Bowl LX.
What is Sam Darnold’s record as a starter?
Through the 2025 regular season, Darnold’s career record as an NFL starter was 49-41. His 2024 season with Minnesota was 14-3, while his 2025 season with Seattle was also 14-3.
How do Sam Darnold’s stats compare with Drake Maye’s?
In 2025, Darnold recorded 4,048 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, a 67.7% completion rate and a 99.1 passer rating. Drake Maye recorded 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, eight interceptions, a 72.0% completion rate and a 113.5 passer rating.
Did Sam Darnold play for the 49ers?
Yes. Darnold played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. He appeared in 10 games, made one start and served primarily as Brock Purdy’s backup. He completed 28 of 46 passes for 297 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
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