Sam Darnold excited about Seattle Seahawks, reveals how he deals with hate

Sam Darnold excited about Seattle Seahawks, reveals how he deals with hate

I’m just here to play good football and, you know, do it with the people that I love, which are my teammates and my coaches. So, um, that’s really all I care about doing and and anything else. Um, whatever people’s opinions are, good or bad, uh, you know, couldn’t care less. Congratulations. New team for you, Sam. You’re headed out to Seattle or you did head out to Seattle. Um, how are you feeling? What’s the vibe like there? Have you got to explore the city? What’s it been like? Yeah, it’s been good. Uh, to be honest, I haven’t had a ton of time to explore. We’ve been kind of working on getting my house uh, you know, ready to roll for this season. So, um, got the furniture going every single day and people coming in and out of the house. So, um, that’s kind of what my days are looking like right now. Yeah. Yeah. But it’s uh, a little stressful. Yeah, it’s a little stressful, but the the football aspect is definitely my favorite part right now. um to be able to just like learn the system, learn the offense, and hang out with the guys every single day. Like, um that’s really what I love what I love doing. And um you know, when I get settled in the house and and me and my girlfriend, we’re able to go and hang out in the city and do all those things that we we want to do, that’s that’s really going to be um the time that I’m excited for as well. Um hopefully a little bit before training camp. So, yeah. What have you seen so far about this franchise that excites you from the time you have been able to spend with the team and and just learning the system? Yeah. Um, you know, I had a preconceived notion, right? You know, it’s it’s funny like you you hear about certain organizations, you know, as you’re with other teams and other guys come in from other teams and everyone kind of talks, right, about organizations, you know, good, bad, you know, in between. And Seattle was always a place that had such good reviews from other players that I’ve played with. And uh you know to so to already have that preconceived notion and then step into the building and um you know it’s it’s really um exceeded my expectations of kind of what this organization is about and how they do things on a day-to-day basis. Um, you know, I think one of the things that excited me about coming here was Coach McDonald. Um, and kind of the the culture that he set um for this team last year and kind of, you know, rolling back into this year and kind of already the the momentum that I feel like we’ve we’ve gained these last few weeks working together. And um, so it it’s been really good. And then obviously I know Coach Kubak um, from my time in San Francisco in 2023. And um you know it was uh so it’s it’s nice to be able to you know have some some verbiage and some of the some of the things in the system sound really familiar to me and um so that was also a part that that really excited me about it. Yeah. You mentioned coach McDonald. Um I was going to ask you what kind of things you’ve already seen so far that make you think you know okay this is going to be he’s he’s going to be a really good coach for me. And what are some of those things that you’ve gotten into already with him if you have at all? you know. Yeah. Yeah. Um, Coach McDonald, he, you know, obviously spends a lot of his time on the defensive side of the ball as he should, uh, call plays over there, but, um, just, you know, the the little time that I get to, you know, interact with him during the week and just bump into him in the, you know, facility or, you know, meet in his office with him for a little bit. He’s, uh, you know, he’s he’s got such a great energy about him and, um, you know, he really knows ball, too. like he he loves diving into the weeds on on certain, you know, concepts or certain situations in games. And that’s that’s the biggest thing that you want to get a feel for the head coach with is kind of what what we’re thinking in certain situations like late in two-minute drives, like when are we going to, you know, when are we going to bang a timeout? When are we going to, you know, maybe, you know, try to go forward on fourth and short or third and short? Like what’s kind of the mindset there? and just kind of those little um you know little details that you want to talk about and get to know your head coach on and um so so it’s been good to to really you know just continue to get to know him and and kind of his personality and um you know what like I said in the beginning kind of what kind of culture we want to build here. It’s been really uh it’s been really fun to be able to you know talk and and get to know him that way. Yeah. Well, it sounds like it’s started off on a great foot so far. So I’m super excited for you. Um, I do want to talk about last season with you for just a moment. I mean, what an absolute run you had with the Vikings and congratulations on the success you had with them. So, what was it about that team and the year um with them that kind of, you know, you got thrust into that starting quarterback role and it you had the amazing season that you did. I mean, could you kind of just break down what was it about it that was so special? Yeah, it’s uh it’s funny. It’s, you know, throughout throughout the season you get so locked in on your routine and, you know, every single week is almost the same and, you know, different game plans obviously, but you know, you just you go to the building at the same time, you leave at the same time every day. Um, and so the weeks start to like run together and they just build, especially when you’re winning games, like they just build on top of each other. And um and the best part was just being able to go into the building and knowing that, you know, I I could, you know, just be myself every single day. I think that’s, you know, and I just had such a good rapport with, you know, obviously my teammates and my coaches, but just all the people that worked in the building. Um, you know, that was that was the best part to me was just coming in every day and and you know, looking forward to seeing everybody, you know, whether it was the training staff, um, the people up in the cafeteria doing their thing and, um, so it’s just like the little things for me that, um, that were really fun last year. Um, winning obviously has a lot to do with having fun, but uh, it that so that definitely helped. But just the the entire vibe of the organization and the players and the coaches, it was such a fun year and and a year that I’ll never forget. Yeah. Um when we were our team was interviewing guys on Radio the Super Bowl, we asked them which quarterback gets the most hate and quite a few of them said you. U so I mean Yeah. You said good. Yeah. I was going to ask you. I mean what do you what do you make of that especially coming off the season that you uh had? Yeah, I think, you know, it’s it’s funny like I really don’t pay attention to any of that. Um, so thanks for bringing it up. No, I’m kidding. Uh, I’m so sorry. Oh my god. No, you’re good. You’re good. Uh, no, it’s uh it’s funny. It’s like I know, you know, kind of what people have said in the past um and and what certain people think. Um, but those are all those are all opinions and everyone’s entitled to their opinion. Um, and I’m I’m just I’m not here to change their opinion. I’m not here to do anything like that. I’m just here to play good football and, you know, do it with the people that I love, which are my teammates and my coaches. So, um, that’s really all I care about doing and and anything else. Um, whatever people’s opinions are, good or bad, uh, you know, couldn’t care less. Yeah. Well, I will say it’s very inspirational. Um, you know, regardless of what people say, you know, you doing your thing and killing it out there, it’s very inspirational. And, uh, you know, I can only imagine coming off such an amazing season that you had to, you know, going to a different team now, it’s got to be a little bit of pressure. How do you deal with that? Do you even feel pressure at all? No, it’s uh, it’s fun. It’s it’s great to, you know, obviously um you know, I’ve kind of gotten in a rhythm here the last few years of kind of going to a new team and and you know, getting to know the know the lay of the land a little bit and and moving into a different spot. um you know, fortunately or unfortunately. Uh you know, it’s just kind of been my life the last few years. And um but it’s been great to to get to know new cities and um meet a bunch of great people, meet, you know, my my teammates that I’ve had in the past and obviously these new teammates that I’m getting to know right now and my new coaches. Um so that’s all great. I I like I love doing all that and um and then learning learning the offense. Um you know, going to work every single day with these guys has been amazing. And um you know, I think that’s that’s the biggest thing. But um yeah, just just every single day I’m just looking forward to to coming into work every day and and that’s that’s all you can really ask for. Yeah. Speaking of new teammates, Cooper Cup is in Seattle now. How important is it for you two to connect and make that solid relationship before the season starts? Yeah, it’s huge. you know, anytime you can connect and make a good relationship with any of your teammates, but obviously your receivers, you know, it’s um you know, you wanna you want to have a great relationship with your your receiver off the field um because that’ll only help your connection on the field. And so that’s been great just getting to know these guys off the field a little bit. And um you know especially Cooper like he is you know he’s diving deep every single day on concepts and what we want to run and you know he’s almost another you know quarterback out there um with with kind of the things that he thinks about and how he talks about football. So it’s uh it’s great to have Cooper um Cooper around and um just super excited to to continue to get to know him and you know the way that he runs routes and thinks about football. Yeah. Last couple questions here here for you. Um, so Jaylen Milro was obviously taken by Seattle in this year’s draft and I’m sure you’ll be working closely with him. How does it feel for you to fall into more of a veteran mentor role with him? Because it’s so crazy because I I met you back in 2020 at the Super Bowl and you know even now I mean that was five years ago. So it’s h how does it feel to to be that veteran mentor role um to someone else? Yeah, it’s uh it’s great, you know. Um that’s not even, you know, it’s it’s funny. It’s I don’t even think about it like that. I’m just kind of doing my thing. He’s doing his and um you know, if if he picks up stuff from me, like that’s great. and, you know, if he wants to ask me a million questions about playing quarterback in in this league and um kind of what I do on a daily basis to to you know, get to know the playbook and um all those things like I’m I’m all for like sharing so much information with him and sharing him all that I know and but I’m sure there’s going to be things that, you know, um he does really well um that I’m going to want to, you know, get a little insight on and and kind of, you know, ask him questions. So, it’s really a it’s really a back and forth relationship really. And uh I think that’s that’s kind of the biggest thing and I feel like that’s kind of been the theme so far of of this interview is just like creating these relationships, you know. Absolutely. Creating relationships in the locker room and um so that you can go out on the field and and just you get out there and and you kind of already know what each other are thinking u before anything happens. And um so just being able to hang out with Jaylen, you know, that’s kind of what I’m looking forward to the most. I’ve we trained with the same quarterback coach down in Orange County in the offseason. And um you know, I’ve bumped into him a few times. Um and he’s such a great dude and I met him for you know, a second when he when he came in um a couple days ago for rookie mini camp and then um I think the rookies are coming in tomorrow. Um so I’m I’m really looking forward to obviously hanging out with him, but hanging out with the other rookies as well. Yeah, last one here for you. Um, obviously you started your career with the Jets. So, uh, very much value your opinion with this one because as someone who’s been kind of behind the curtain of that franchise, you know, um, we saw this last season with Aaron Rodgers, I mean, it was even tough to to get it right with him. So, do you feel like it’s a um a foundational thing when it comes to supporting talented quarterbacks like yourself when it comes to that um that franchise? What do you think it is? Yeah. No, it’s a great question. And right, it’s kind of like it’s kind of what everyone’s trying to figure out. You know, it’s, you know, franchises all over the NFL are still trying to figure it out. And um so to sit here and act like I I know everything about it, like I’m not going to pretend to do that. But, um, I definitely think it’s important to, um, have good good people, good players, um, you know, around the quarterback. Um, you know, whether it’s offensive line, running backs, receivers, um, a good defense, um, and then having good coaching is always really important as well, having really good scheme. So, um, there’s so many different factors, um, you know, that go into it, especially when you have a young quarterback, um, coming into the league. And um especially now, I feel like college is is so different um from the NFL. And you know, just uh I think that’s the biggest thing is just having a really good support system for a young quarterback coming into the league. Really any quarterback in the NFL. Um even veterans, you know, that’s super important. So um but yeah, that’s that’s really all I got for you on that end. Um but uh yeah, I just I think all those things are really important.

Sam Darnold is no stranger to new beginnings. After a successful season in Minnesota, he has packed up and headed west to lead Seattle Seahawks offense. He tells our Mackenzie Salmon how he’s prepared for his role in Seattle, what its like to work with Jalen Milroe, and his thoughts on being called “the most hated on quarterback”.

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