Sam Darnold Madden Career 2019-2026 - Peak 77 OVR

Sam Darnold was born on June 5, 1997 in Dana Point, California, and played college football at USC, where he became the first freshman to win the Archie Griffin Award. The New York Jets selected him third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He started 13 games as a rookie, and Madden NFL 19 listed him at 75 for that season.

The Jets traded him to Carolina in April 2021. He threw for 2,527 yards in 2021 before a fractured scapula, and Madden NFL 22 listed him at 71 for that season. He spent 2023 as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco, then signed with Minnesota in March 2024 and threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns with a 102.5 passer rating, earning a first Pro Bowl selection. Madden NFL 25 listed him at 70 for 2024.

Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million contract with Seattle in March 2025 and completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns, making a second Pro Bowl; Madden NFL 26 listed him at 77 for that season. In Super Bowl LX he completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown in a 29-13 win over New England. Through the 2025 season he had 20,431 passing yards, 123 touchdowns and 82 interceptions.