Like a fluttering pass that appears destined to end in disaster, Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks had been on a painstaking journey through the National Football League.
Quarterbacks such as Darnold are more often chewed up in the system and spat out or relegated to backup roles for life. They don’t figure out a way to stay relevant in the league, much less guide teams to back-to-back 14-win seasons—just the second QB in NFL history to do so. And they rarely lead a squad to the Super Bowl.
