Ahead of the divisional round, discussions about Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold are once again heating up. Matt Hasselbeck defends the criticized player – and gives him an important tip.

The critics are not silent.

Sam Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to the playoffs. And as the number 1 seed. As the top team in the NFC.

Or did the Seahawks reach the postseason and the bye week despite their quarterback?

“The only reason the Seahawks aren’t the overwhelming and unanimous favorites to win the Super Bowl is Sam Darnold,” said Fox journalist Chris Broussard on his show “First Things First” ahead of the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers.

The fact is: opinions are divided on Darnold.

Sam Darnold: First great with the Vikings, then terrible

He also led the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs in 2024 after a strong regular season, but disappointed across the board in both the decisive game for the top seed against the Detroit Lions (9:31) and in the Wild Card Round against the Los Angeles Rams (9:27).

Of course, the Vikings and now Seattle (both 14-3) would not have achieved such records if they had had to carry a playmaker. But time and again, he reinforces the narrative that he fails to deliver when it matters most. Instead, he makes too many easy mistakes.

Well, 14 interceptions are just shy of the league high (Geno Smith/17), while a rating of 99.1 isn’t bad. However, statistics aren’t everything. What sets Darnold apart this season are the big plays when the team needs them late in the game.

That’s also part of the narrative.

Sam Darnold: A big question mark remains

Nevertheless, the big question mark remains as to whether he can carry a team to the Super Bowl. Is he a good or a very good quarterback? The crunch time of a season is the time that automatically passes judgment and weeds out those who aren’t good enough for the big stage. Those players then remain only supporting actors in their careers, with notable appearances here and there. However, Seahawks legend Matt Hasselbeck vehemently defends Darnold. “You have to remember: Sam Darnold was one of the youngest quarterbacks in his draft class,” Hasselbeck said in a media roundtable. “He was extremely young and then ended up with the New York Jets. That’s the place where quarterback careers die. It didn’t work out for him there; the conditions were bad.”
Sometimes as a quarterback you have to take a step back to take two steps forward, Hasselbeck said, criticizing the critics: “But a lot of people are still stuck on the image of Sam Darnold as a rookie with the Jets. They’re blind to what he showed with the Minnesota Vikings – he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league there.”

Last offseason, Darnold signed with the Seahawks as a free agent. “He could have signed anywhere and deliberately chose Seattle, partly because of the reunion with Klint Kubiak. And this year, he has once again played at an extremely high level. Sam just needed time to mature.”

Hasselbeck: Darnold doesn’t have to shoulder everything alone

Mature enough for the playoffs, for the big throw, for Super Bowl glory?

“He doesn’t have to shoulder everything alone,” said Hasselbeck, recalling his own career when he was Brett Favre’s backup with the Green Bay Packers in 1998.

The position coach at the time was current Chiefs coach Andy Reid, when the Packers had an outstanding defense featuring players such as Reggie White and LeRoy Butler. “Reid himself said to Brett Favre, ‘Let our punter kick when there’s nothing there. You don’t have to be Superman.’”

That’s an important lesson for any quarterback. Hasselbeck knows what he’s talking about. The 50-year-old was a three-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Seahawks and led Seattle to its first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history in 2005. However, the big game was lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. “The pressure is enormous, especially in the playoffs. But football is a team sport. You don’t have to solve it alone,“ Hasselbeck said, offering his advice to Darnold: ”Trust this defense. Let the punter punt, give the defense a long field. No turnovers, no interceptions, and let the team work for you.“

Seattle Seahawks: Defense better than the ”Legion of Boom”?

One advantage for Darnold is the Seahawks’ defense, “a historically good defense,” according to Hasselbeck. For him, the current defense has even stepped out of the shadow of the legendary “Legion of Boom” led by former stars such as Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, and Kam Chancellor.

“There are defensive statistics that even prove that this defense is better than the Legion of Boom in some areas,” Hasselbeck said.

What are they still missing?

“Actually, just their own nickname – maybe they’re already working on that,” he said – but they already have one. The Seahawks defense is called “Dark Side” this year. But more important anyway is “the last, decisive step: the Lombardi Trophy. That’s the missing piece of the puzzle,” Hasselbeck clarifies. Darnold also has to do his part. So that the critics will finally shut up.