Overview
- Seattle’s quarterback opened Super Bowl LX against the Patriots and on 3rd-and-6 from the 14-yard line overthrew a wide-open Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a potential 85–86 yard touchdown after escaping pressure.
- NBC’s Cris Collinsworth called it a “walk-in touchdown” chance, and Seattle later led 9-0 at halftime with Darnold 9-of-22 for 88 yards.
- The early miss came as outlets revisited Darnold’s 2019 lows with the Jets, including the mic’d-up “I’m seeing ghosts” comment and the viral ESPN graphic about his mononucleosis absence.
- Darnold reached this stage after a 2024 breakout in Minnesota (4,319 yards, 35 TDs, Pro Bowl) and a reported three-year, ~$100 million deal in Seattle following the Geno Smith trade, then a 14-3 season as the NFC’s top seed.
- Background details also resurfaced, including his USC communication major with an approximate 3.14 GPA and personal support from fiancée Katie Hoofnagle.