It feels rather fitting that Sam Darnold ended up here.

Where is “here,” you might ask? As the quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, the team that just dominated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX?

No, I am talking about Raising Cane’s, the chicken tender restaurant beloved by so many across the country, especially in the South. 

Raising Cane’s is an unlikely success story as it found popularity by just making great fast food using only chicken amongst the fast food behemoths in 1996. Sam Darnold spent the first Tuesday after securing himself a Super Bowl Ring cooking tenders and fries and filming promos for the restaurant after he helped lead the Seattle Seahawks to a 29-13 win over the New England Patriots.

So why is it fitting that Darnold ended up here at Raising Cane’s? 

Since this site you are reading this article on is called The Underdog Tribune, I wanted to write about the story of an underdog. Some might find it strange to label the third overall pick in the 2018 draft an underdog, but his path to this point certainly makes him one.

Sam Darnold started his career as one of the top prizes in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was the third overall pick after a stellar career at USC. For all intents and purposes, Darnold had a bright future ahead of him.

But as luck would have it, Sam Darnold would get drafted by the New York Jets, a franchise that has been struggling to find the glory days they once had when Joe Namath led the franchise to their first and only Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl III.

And times have been especially hard for the franchise in recent years, as the team hasn’t appeared in the NFL Playoffs since 2010.

The Jets have tried and tried again to find their franchise quarterback throughout the past 15 years, but it just has not happened for any of the players they drafted or for the team itself.

Sam Darnold would be no different

After a mediocre rookie season, Darnold would take what looked like a step forward in his second year at the helm. The Jets had just hired new head coach Adam Gase, and Jets’ fans hoped Adam Gase would be able to unlock the potential in the once heralded star from California. 

And it looked like that might happen. During the 2019 season, Darnold threw 19 touchdowns against 13 interceptions and racked up 3,024 passing yards and helped the Jets improve from 4-12 in his rookie season to 7-9 in his second year. The Jets weren’t world beaters, but that was a vast improvement from the previous season.

But the wheels would come off during Darnold’s third season.

Darnold only threw for 2,208 yards passing and just nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Jets cratered to a 2-14 record. Adam Gase was fired, and the team decided to start fresh at quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft by drafting Zach Wilson with the second overall pick. Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers for three draft picks.

It was then that it looked like Sam Darnold was destined to forever be a journeyman quarterback or a career backup. He would go to the San Francisco 49ers to do just that in 2023 where he barely played serving as Brock Purdy’s backup. 

But things would start to change in 2024

The Minnesota Vikings had just drafted J.J. McCarthy to be the quarterback of the future, but they weren’t completely convinced he was ready to start day one in the NFL. The Vikings needed either a bridge or safety net, so they signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million contract. A devastating knee injury to McCarthy in the preseason would mean the Vikings had no choice but to rely on their safety net.

For an underdog to succeed, they need to take advantage of situations they are put in, even if it is in circumstances that are nearly disastrous for someone else. Sam Darnold certainly didn’t want McCarthy to get injured, but he did, so he might as well step up.

And step up he did. Things finally clicked for Sam Darnold. Darnold would throw for a career best 4,329 yards and 35 touchdowns to lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record. Since Darnold was on a one-year contract, he was a free agent at the end of the 2024 season.

And if I still haven’t convinced you that Sam Darnold’s story is an underdog story, what happened in free agency should.

Despite the fact Darnold was one of the biggest reasons why the Vikings experienced so much success in 2024, the franchise opted not to sign the quarterback and bet their future on J.J. McCarthy. 

Even after an insanely impressive season, the Vikings weren’t willing to pay the quarterback a hefty payday and let him roam the waters of free agency. The Seattle Seahawks came calling and signed Darnold to a three-year contract totaling $100.5 million in salary.

And it paid off for the Seahawks in a big way

In his first year leading the Seahawks offense, Darnold was lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy in victory after defeating the New England Patriots.

Sam Darnold is the first quarterback to play for five different teams to win a Super Bowl. How did he persevere despite the numerous doubters he had after his stint in New York?

The support of his close friends and family was a big help. “I’ve dealt with a lot, whether it’s in football and in life, and I think having great friends, having a great family to have my back throughout that process definitely helps,” according to Darnold.

Sam Darnold also found inspiration from his coach Mike MacDonald. MacDonald had his own things he had to persevere through. Darnold to the reporter at Raising Cane’s, “I think, just like myself, he persevered through a lot. He’s coached in a lot of spots. He’s had some things that haven’t necessarily gone his way. There’s not a lot of head coaches that can call them Super Bowl champions, and for him to be able to look in the mirror and be able to say that to himself, he loves that.”

And you might think Jets’ fans would harbor bad feelings for Darnold since he couldn’t perform at this level with New York. But everyone loves an underdog story, and according to one reporter, many Jet’s fans are thrilled for the once embattled quarterback, and Darnold couldn’t be happier.

“Thank you for the support. I think that’s the biggest thing. That’s all you can ask for as players is to be, you feel supported, especially by the team that drafted you, and you know I always look at myself and feel that I could have done a lot more for that franchise. And the fact that they can support me through that means a lot,” Darnold said.

So if you ever need inspiration, if things haven’t gone your way, look at the guy who was wearing a Raising Cane’s uniform on Tuesday afternoon in Seattle. Just because things didn’t start off the way you planned doesn’t mean your dreams still can’t come true. If you learn anything from Sam Darnold’s experience, let it be that.