Opinions vary on Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, even after he led the team to a Super Bowl LX victory last season. The former 2018 No. 3 overall pick was frequently maligned during his career prior to arriving in Seattle, but he was one of the best passers in the league in 2025.Alongside Darnold's solid raw statistics (67.7% completion, 4,048 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns and 14 interceptions), he was one of the most clutch quarterbacks in the NFL, per PFF. Several statistics go into the figure, but Darnold was ranked No. 4 among all passers."The Seahawks quarterback posted just a 0.89% turnover-worthy play rate, generating seven big-time throws against just one turnover-worthy play across 103 clutch dropbacks," PFF writer Mark Chichester wrote. "But his success wasn't simply about avoiding mistakes."Darnold finished the 2025 season ranking third in accurate throw rate (73.3%), and fifth in both negatively graded play rate (8.9%) and yards per attempt (8.4), per Chichester. "The combination of accuracy, efficiency and ball security helped produce one of the strongest clutch seasons of any quarterback in 2025," he added.Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass against the New England Patriots in the second half in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Seahawks had seven one-score wins during the regular and post-seasons leading up to their Super Bowl victory. Darnold only produced one game-winning touchdown in those games, but the one he did have was at the most critical junction in the season.Darnold connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in overtime of the Seahawks' Week 16 win over the Los Angeles Rams, and he followed it up with the game-winning two-point conversion to Eric Saubert.After securing that victory, Darnold and Seattle took control of their own fate for the race to the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They got it, possessed home field advantage in the playoffs and used that momentum to cruise into a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots.Even without a game-winning score in the NFC Championship against the Rams, Darnold was also sensational in that contest. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns. One of the major knocks on Darnold was that he couldn't beat the Rams or win in the playoffs, and he kicked both of those criticisms in a matter of weeks.Darnold is entering the second season of a three-year, $100.5 million contract in 2026. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Seahawks try and extend him next offseason so he never has a chance to reach free agency. Seattle likely will keep him as their franchise quarterback, barring a putrid upcoming season.— Enjoy free coverage of the Super Bowl champions from Seattle Seahawks On SI —Sign Up For the Seahawks Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Seattle Seahawks NewsletterAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow