Just a few years ago, Sam Darnold looked like a certified bust. Whatever potential and ability the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft had before he entered the league was broken and smashed into pieces by the husk of an organization known as the New York Jets. The arguable low point of Darnold’s Jets career was a 2019 mononucleosis diagnosis that turned into a rather unfortunate (but hilarious, when it turned out he was OK) meme.
Roughly six years later, after Darnold’s Seattle Seahawks (his fifth NFL team) defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC title game, Darnold is going to start Super Bowl 60 next month. He will officially play in a Super Bowl before each of his more famous and accomplished draft mates in Lamar Jackson (a two-time MVP), Josh Allen (the 2024 MVP), and the similarly resurgent Baker Mayfield. He’s also the FIRST former USC quarterback to ever reach a Super Bowl.
And that mentioned Darnold injury meme? People are now repurposing it to make light of the journeyman reaching the pinnacle event of American sports. Goodness, when you really think about it, the NFL can be so delightful and stupid at the same time:
What Sean McVay sees in his nightmares pic.twitter.com/hysfD4J65t
— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) January 26, 2026
Sam Darnold overcame being out indefinitely from mononucleosis to clinching a Super Bowl appearance. Anything is possible. pic.twitter.com/uJrJRuIdt1
— jordan (@JordanUhl) January 26, 2026
It’s kind of insane that Darnold came back from the dual “Jets draft/iconic funny meme” career death sentences to this pic.twitter.com/0UwVXUpUNy
— The New Sam (@NBABabySecret) January 26, 2026
That guy above is about to play a football game in front of over 100 million people.
Let this be a lesson to you, kids. Never, ever give up on your dreams. Anything is possible. You, too, can recover from becoming a devastating meme at the absolute nadir of your professional career.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Sam Darnold’s famous meme came back after Seahawks got to Super Bowl
