Sam Darnold’s Journey to the Super Bowl

Sam Darnold is heading to the Super Bowl, a remarkable achievement considering how his career began. In the 2018 NFL draft, he was selected as the third overall pick by the New York Jets, but things did not go well for him during his tenure there. After two difficult years with the team, he moved to the Carolina Panthers, where his performance remained underwhelming. He then spent a quiet season as a backup quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers.

Since that time, Darnold has led two different teams to 14-win seasons in consecutive years, culminating in his current journey to the Super Bowl. While this is an inspiring story, it doesn’t mean that people are ready to forget the past, especially the events that occurred during his second year with the Jets.

One of the most memorable moments happened when Darnold wasn’t even playing. In Week 2, the Jets faced Baker Mayfield and the Browns. Darnold was out due to mononucleosis, which is an unusual illness for an NFL player. The duration of his absence was indefinite, and the situation became even more notable when ESPN created a graphic that would become infamous in sports history.

Rather than explaining why Darnold was out, ESPN used stock footage of him in his uniform looking at the camera and pointing as they displayed the team’s upcoming schedule. On one side of the graphic, it read “OUT INDEFINITELY” over “MONONUCLEOSIS.”

This graphic was shocking to see live, but it gained even more attention when Tim Burke, a former Deadspin video expert, created a meme generator using the cropped image. People could insert their own text, and the images of Darnold still occasionally appear online. However, when Darnold made it to the Super Bowl, these images resurfaced along with the original.

In 2019, Darnold recovered from mono and returned to the lineup in Week 5 after missing three games. Unfortunately, the following week, the Jets were back on Monday Night Football against the Patriots. Darnold had a terrible game, throwing for only 86 yards and four interceptions as the Jets were shut out 33–0.

Things took a turn for the worse when Darnold was mic’d up for the game and ESPN showed him on the bench saying he was “seeing ghosts.” The Jets were upset that the clip was aired.

While this moment hasn’t gained the same level of notoriety as the “OUT INDEFINITELY” graphic, it also resurfaced as Darnold secured his spot in the Super Bowl. Bleacher Report posted a graphic of him as a Ghostbuster, and at least one media member asked him about the comment after the NFC Championship Game. Darnold, who has addressed the “ghosts” comment before, said, “I almost forgot about it, so thanks.”

The fact that the “ghosts” comment occurred during a game against the Patriots makes it likely to become a topic in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. Considering that both incidents happened within a few weeks of each other more than five years ago and are still haunting him today, it’s unfortunate.

If Darnold can survive the next two weeks of this scrutiny, he might have a chance to have the last laugh.

Other NFL News

Sean Payton missed an opportunity to swing the AFC Championship Game by passing up three points. The Patriots will need Drake Maye to perform at his best for a shot at history. The Good, Bad and Ugly of Championship Sunday includes the Seahawks and Patriots securing their spots in the Super Bowl. Sean McVay had a fiery response to questions about Matthew Stafford’s future with the Rams. Despite a disappointing season, the Rams have the pieces in place for a deep run next year.