Although former USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold was drafted as the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, he has a unique perspective both as a prospect and now as a professional player who has been through the highs and lows of the league.
One of the biggest names of the 2025 NFL Draft, former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, endured a drastic fall from a projected top pick to a fifth-round pick in April, and Darnold offered the young star some advice in a recent interview.
"I think, whether it's Shedeur or anyone else, I think just having respect for those guys in the quarterback room and helping everybody get better is the biggest thing, especially at this point in the season," Sam Darnold said to Fox News in an interview earlier this offseason. "When you do that, you get better yourself more than you even know."
After a bumpy start to his career, Darnold was traded from the New York Jets to the Carolina Panthers. Then Darnold was signed by the San Francisco 49ers before ultimately landing with the Minnesota Vikings and revitalizing his career. Once a top prospect, then considered a bust, then a journeyman, Darnold fought his way back to the top having been named a Pro Bowler in 2024 and set various Vikings and NFL records in his comeback campaign.
In the offseason, Darnold signed a lucrative contract with the Seattle Seahawks as he looks to continue his comeback.
"The biggest thing is having respect, having respect for the teammates you're competing with," Darnold said. "I was in a quarterback competition in Carolina with Baker (Mayfield), and me and Baker are still really close to this day. We both had a genuine, like, respect for one another. It wasn't always clear who was getting the 1s or the 2-reps that day, but when our number was called, we went out there.”
Much has been made of Shedeur Sanders being humbled by his draft position, but that discourse is often rooted in non-football narratives and some beyond Sanders’ control. Darnold’s advice reads as an actual player who was humbled on the field from the league that chews and spits out players routinely. The former Trojan seems to be to giving a young player who may be facing some internal pressure a blueprint to simply be all in for his new team.
"When Bake got the nod for Week 1, I was like, ‘I’m here for you. Anything you need, if you want me to watch tape of certain third-down looks or any blitz packages the defense might have, I’m here for you,'" Darnold said. "It’s that kind of way in the quarterbacks room, and there’s nothing that simulates that in the real world."
Darnold and Sanders may never cross paths in a significant fashion, but it’s stories like these that make the brotherhood of the NFL special. Darnold, now with the Seattle Seahawks after signing a massive contract, is primed for a major season. Still just 27 years old, Darnold had a second wind and so much to play for. If Sanders follows Darnold’s advice, he could be in the same place a few years from now.
