Radio host and analyst Colin Cowherd put Sam Darnold above other NFC quarterbacks, including Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy, following his Super Bowl heroics. Cowherd compared Darnold and his NFC counterparts while reviewing the quarterback’s contribution to Seattle’s Super Bowl run on the Monday episode of his show.
The Seahawks signed Darnold last March on a three-year, $100.5 million deal. The quarterback led the franchise to its second Super Bowl title in just his first season. This, according to Cowherd, has put him above many of his NFC peers previously rated higher than him. He said:
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“You guys have all, for the last couple of years, been trying to tell me Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts are top 10 quarterbacks. So, is Sam Darnold now a top 10 quarterback? He’s bigger than both. He’s got a bigger arm than both. I would say he’s as athletic as Jalen Hurts, much better in the pocket. … CJ Stroud is regressed. I mean, I love Justin Herbert. He’d never had a playoff run like this. So what do you do with Darnold?”
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He went on to claim that Darnold is a better choice to build a franchise around than Hurts and Purdy. He said:
“What quarterback in the NFC tomorrow, if you’re building a franchise, Darnold is only 28; tomorrow in the NFC, what quarterback do you take over Sam Darnold? Nobody’s taking Brock Purdy. Injuries. Smaller. Not a GM in the league is taking Brock Purdy, not a single GM. Nobody’s taking Jalen Hurts over Sam Darnold.”
From zero to hero: the Sam Darnold story
Selected by the Jets with the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Sam Darnold had a rough start to life as a pro footballer. The quarterback spent his first five seasons with the Jets and the Carolina Panthers, recording only 21 wins throughout the period. He was also consistently ranking low in passer rating and completion percentage.
It wasn’t long before he got labeled a draft bust. However, his numbers since leaving Carolina have proven he was only a victim of a system that wasn’t suitable for him. With his Super Bowl victory, the quarterback has now tallied 39 wins since leaving the Jets, compared to 26 wins by the team.
Similarly, his 31 wins since leaving Carolina beat the Panthers’ 15 in the same period.
Edited by Kayode Akinwumi
