Sam Darnold just keeps winning.
Darnold and the Seahawks notched their 13th win of the season on Sunday, after Darnold and the Vikings went 14-3 last year. That means Darnold has done something unprecedented in NFL history: Led his team to 13 wins in two consecutive seasons, and doing it while playing for two different teams.
Just winning 13 games in back-to-back seasons is a rare feat for a quarterback: The only quarterbacks with consecutive 13-win seasons are Aaron Rodgers (from 2019 to 2021 with the Packers), Peyton Manning (2012-13 with the Broncos), Tom Brady (2010-11 and 2003-04 with the Patriots) and Brett Favre (1996-97 with the Packers).
What sets Darnold apart is doing it with different teams. Of course, it’s rare for a team to win 13 games and then not keep its quarterback, but that’s what the Vikings decided to do when they let Darnold walk in free agency and anointed J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback. The Vikings declined without Darnold, who went to Seattle and has helped the Seahawks improve into one of the best teams in the NFL.
Two years ago no one thought of Darnold as the kind of quarterback who could lead his team to one of the best records in the NFL, but now Darnold has done it twice, with two different teams.
