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Sam Darnold took a moment to thank the Jets fans who have continued to support him after his career got off to an up-and-down start before he became a Super Bowl champion with the Seahawks on Sunday.
The quarterback worked a “shift” at Raising Cane’s in Seattle on Tuesday as part of his post-championship tour and was asked if he had a message for the Jets fans who cheered him during Seattle’s 29-13 win over the Patriots in the Big Game.
“The biggest thing is that’s all you can ask for as a player, is to feel supported, especially by the team that drafted me,” Darnold told reporters in Seattle while sitting at a booth in the chicken joint. “I always look at myself and feel like I could have done a lot more for that franchise when I was there. The fact that they’re able to support me even through that means a lot.”
Darnold was taken third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft and played three uneven seasons in the Big Apple before he was traded to the Panthers in 2021.
The 28-year-old’s turnaround began in earnest after spending the 2023 season as a 49ers backup before having back-to-back successful seasons with the Vikings and Seahawks, culminating in the Super Bowl 2026 win.
Over the past two seasons, Darnold has posted a 28-6 record during the regular season. This year, he threw for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Darnold has turned into a rockstar in Seattle, and Tuesday’s Raising Cane’s appearance made that evident as he walked out of the restaurant to throngs of adoring fans cheering.
In one video posted online, fans had to be cleared out of the way of Darnold’s car by police and security so he could leave without issue.
Chants of “Sea-Hawks” erupted as Darnold tried to scramble out of the parking spot.
A day before, Darnold rode on a float down Main Street USA at Disneyland alongside teammate Kenneth Walker III, the Super Bowl MVP.
