Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold won his first-ever Super Bowl last year, and yet that wasn't enough to put a smile on his face. Yesterday, he opened up about his mixed emotions following his team's victory. 

Appearing on the Bussin with the Boys podcast, hosted by Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, the champion signal-caller admitted he felt disappointed with his individual performance despite winning the biggest game of his life. 

“I missed way too many throws. We still won. Our defense balled out,” Darnold added. “I didn’t turn the ball over, which helped. But dude, to win the Super Bowl that way, I was kinda bummed."

As per his statement on the Bussin' With the Boys podcast, the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 to secure the championship, but they won largely because of a dominant defensive showing that racked up six sacks.

Darnold struggled to find his rhythm, completing just 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards and a single touchdown. However, he is using his past performance as a lesson to not repeat the mistake he made last season.

"I want to score 40 points, you know what I mean? I want to go out there and ball out, and it’s just, dang, I didn’t play my best football in the Super Bowl? That sucks,” he added.

For the 2026 season, he identified specific areas for growth, pointing out the need to improve his deep-ball accuracy and stabilize his lower body under pressure. 

During the podcast, he explained that his feet can get too twitchy in the pocket, and he wants to remain calmer while reading the defense. 

Even though analytics like PFF ranked him in the top five in deep pass attempts last year, Darnold is holding himself to an elite standard. If he fixes these flaws, he can have some of his best performances ahead with the team. 

Former Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck believes Sam Darnold has his best days ahead

Sam Darnold proved what he could do when he led Minnesota to the playoffs. Now playing in Seattle after joining the team in 2025 on a three-year, $100 million contract, he has remained excellent but needs to improve his efficiency.

To take the next step this upcoming season, cutting down on turnovers will be absolutely critical. Former Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck strongly believes Darnold is just getting started. Speaking on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, Hasselbeck fully backed the veteran,

"I think that Sam Darnold is still just a young quarterback scratching the surface of what he can be,” Hasselbeck added. “I really hate it when people on the national level discredit the year that he had last year, because I think that's obnoxious. At the same time, I think he can still play a heck of a lot better." 

Hasselbeck fully backed the veteran, dismissing national critics who look down on Darnold's recent performance. 

Even though Darnold is entering his ninth NFL season, he is still young. Seattle is giving him plenty of room to grow. If he can limit his mistakes, this already explosive Seahawks offense could become truly dangerous.

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Written by

Aaindri Thakuri

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote