SEATTLE — After the confetti had fallen on Sam Darnold on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium following the Seattle Seahawks’ victory in Super Bowl LX, the Pro Bowl quarterback thanked his mom and dad, telling them he was only there because of their unwavering belief in him.
That was the theme of Darnold’s brief address to fans at Lumen Field on Wednesday as the Seahawks kicked off their championship parade with a celebration at their home stadium.
Holding a beer in one hand, Darnold hoisted the Lombardi Trophy with the other before addressing the crowd.
“I’ve talked a lot this last week about belief,” he said. “A lot of people didn’t believe in me, but it didn’t matter because the ones that are close believed in me, including you all. I appreciate you all so much. That short list also includes [team owner] Jody Allen, [general manager] John Schneider, [coach] Mike Macdonald. I appreciate the belief you all had in me for signing me this past year.
“And last but certainly not least, these players, man, for believing in me. I wouldn’t be here without these guys.”
Darnold, Schneider and Macdonald were among 10 Seahawks who spoke on a stage in front of the north end zone at Lumen Field, which depicted the Lombardi Trophy on either side and a banner running across the top that read “SUPER BOWL LX CHAMPIONS.”
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV, wearing a T-shirt depicting Darnold’s likeness with a cigarette in his mouth, a beer in one hand and the quarterback flipping the bird with the other, spoke as well. He drew an uproarious reaction after he repurposed the now-famous remarks he gave in defense of Darnold earlier in the season.
The Seahawks were panned by some after they traded Geno Smith in March and signed Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract to replace him. He was coming off a Pro Bowl season with the Minnesota Vikings, but he had struggled in the finale of their 14-3 regular season and then again in their wild-card playoff loss.
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Darnold had lasted only three seasons with the New York Jets after they drafted him third overall in 2018. He was traded to the Carolina Panthers and wasn’t re-signed after two seasons in Carolina. Darnold resurrected his career last season in Minnesota after backing up Brock Purdy with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
Darnold completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ 29-13 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. Playing through an injured oblique in Seattle’s three playoff games, he threw five touchdown passes with no turnovers. He went the final four games without turning the ball over after leading all players with 20 giveaways during the regular season.
That included four interceptions in a Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The performance gave way to one of the indelible moments of Seattle’s season, when Jones ardently supported Darnold postgame, saying: “He’s our quarterback. We’ve got his back, and if you’ve got anything to say, quite frankly, f— you.”
The Seahawks did not lose a game after that, winning 10 straight on their way to claiming the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
Jones’ remarks on stage Wednesday struck a similar note to what he said in November.
“Not only do we have the best defense in the world, we’ve got the best team in the world,” he said, “and quite frankly, if you’ve got anything to say about my quarterback, if you’ve got anything to say about my defense, if you’ve got anything to say about our O-line, if you’ve got anything to say about the city of Seattle, I’ve got two words for you: F— you.”
As the Lumen Field crowd erupted, the camera panned to a smiling Allen.
“We ain’t going nowhere,” Jones said to conclude his speech.
The Seahawks will try to become only the second team in the past 20 seasons to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The first order of business will be to hire a new offensive coordinator after Klint Kubiak became the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday that Seattle is expected to interview four in-house candidates for the job this week: quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, offensive passing game coordinator Jake Peetz, run game specialist Justin Outten and tight ends coach Mack Brown.
Running back Kenneth Walker III — the MVP of Super Bowl LX — headlines the team’s list of pending free agents. That group that also includes wide receiver/Pro Bowl kick returner Rashid Shaheed and several members of the top-ranked scoring defense in cornerbacks Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe, safety Coby Bryant and outside linebacker Boye Mafe.
Chants of “MVP!” broke out at Lumen Field as Schneider praised Walker. The general manager joked on stage that Walker tried to negotiate with him minutes earlier.
The Seahawks have Darnold under contract for two more years as well as one of the NFL’s youngest rosters, though they will need to inject some youth into a veteran defensive line that includes three players who are over 30 years old in Leonard Williams, DeMarcus Lawrence and Jarran Reed.
“We’re not done,” Williams said. “We’re coming back next year.”
