A self-described introvert, Darnold came into the NFL with an image of how a quarterback was supposed to lead, one that didn’t always align with his personality. It was Bridgewater who told a then rookie Darnold that the best way he could lead was to be himself.

“I always thought, just watching things online, being in elementary school to high school to college, watching all these great quarterbacks behind the scenes, leading their teams and being very vocal, I always thought that’s how I needed to be, every single day in the locker room, in the cafeteria,” Darnold said. “And I’ll never forget this, but Teddy Bridgewater—shout out to Teddy—he came up to me during my rookie preseason and was like, ‘Hey, bro, just be yourself.’ He’s like, ‘I can tell you’re stressed, you’re worried about the playbook and you’re also worried about trying to lead guys. Don’t worry about leading the dudes right now. Just get the football right and just be yourself around the guys, and guys will respect you for that.’ That really changed the way that I looked at just being a leader.”

After finding a more natural leadership style, the next step for Darnold was to find more consistency as a player, something that wasn’t always easy on Jets teams that struggled during his first three seasons.

“Sometimes your process can get knocked off by maybe having a bad practice or a bad game just because you think you need to change things up because something went wrong; where it was like, no, the process was actually really good; things just didn’t work out for you necessarily on the field,” Darnold said. “And I think for me, that’s where things clicked for me. And that’s where I became consistent, not only in my game, but also off the field. I just had a much better understanding of myself and the process, how I went about my business week to week, day to day. And that’s when I became really consistent in not only practice, but also in games.”

That next step in Darnold’s evolution came after he was traded to Carolina, where after struggling in 2021, he found himself in a backup role to open the 2022 season. Darnold also injured his ankle that preseason, starting the year on injured reserve, but after he returned to full health, and after Baker Mayfield was released late it the season, Darnold was back in the starting role, and led the Panthers to four wins in their final six games.

“After my first few years in the league, I was able to go to Carolina, then my second year, the Baker trade happened, and Baker ended up coming and he ended up winning the job,” Darnold said. “And I actually, in the last preseason game, I got a grade three high ankle sprain and I was out for eight to 10 weeks. Within that timeframe, Baker goes to LA. And after about eight or nine weeks, I get to start and we ended up going 4-2. We ended up winning some games in Carolina, missing the playoffs by a game, I think, to Brady and the Bucs.

“I used that as momentum going into the next year into San Francisco, and learned a ton being in San Francisco with just everything that came with that: being around really good players, being around good coaches, being around Brock Purdy, Brandon Allen, just in a good room. Just the way that we prepared, I’ve taken with me and I took with me to Minnesota. And I felt like that really helped me prepare and to be the best quarterback that I could be in that last year with Minnesota.”

And now, all of those experiences, both positive and negative, have led Seattle here, to his eighth season in the league and the first as Seattle’s starting quarterback. Like every team, the Seahawks will be counting on the play of their quarterback to help determine their fates, and from everything Darnold has shown leading up to Sunday’s opener, they are in good hands with Darnold leading the offense.

“His poise (stands out),” tight end AJ Barner said. “He’s a really great player, great thrower of the football. Consistent. I’ve touched on the timing piece before, but I think he’s great with his timing, you know when the ball is getting out. I think we all expect really great things from Sam. He doesn’t turn the ball over either. Makes great decisions, smart decisions, checks the ball down when he needs to, checks the run plays, never messes up calls in the huddle, so very consistent. He’s a pro. He’s been in this league for a while, and he’s going to have a really great year.”