Sam Darnold uninterested in narratives about him, but ready to help Seahawks defend Super Bowl crown

SEATTLE (AP) — Less than six months removed from his first NFL title , Sam Darnold briefly chuckled to himself.

Darnold was asked Thursday if he feels the narratives about him have gone by the wayside. For years, the discourse on Darnold centered around him being a bust, considering his pedigree as a former No. 3 overall pick, and a transient quarterback who hopped from team to team. Darnold’s first year under center for the Seahawks, after all, marked his fifth team in eight seasons.

Despite the scrutiny, Darnold said his confidence in himself has never wavered.

“I don’t allow myself to really pay attention to anything like that,” Darnold said five days into training camp. “If I do catch wind of it, I have my process on how to handle that. Like I said, it’s just about handling my process and doing it my way, so that when I get out there, it’s not about what I’ve done or what I’m going to do, it’s about what I’m doing right now.

“I think if I just continue to have that mindset as we go on, we’ll be just fine.”

What Darnold is more interested in is getting up to speed with the Seahawks’ new offensive scheme.

First-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury and Darnold have some familiarity with one another, though. Fleury spent the last four years as the 49ers’ tight ends coach, and Darnold was San Francisco’s backup for the 2023 season.

Darnold has enjoyed getting to reconnect with the stoic Fleury, who has been tasked with replacing current Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak .

“Whether it’s a good play or bad play, his mentality never changes out there on the field, which I already knew about, being in San Francisco with him,” Darnold said. “But, he was always very even keel. Now, getting to spend a lot more time with him as the offensive coordinator, it’s fun to be able to watch him work every single day and see his mentality out there.”

Darnold would also like to keep working on his report with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed , who signed a $51 million, three-year contract in March .

Shaheed, who had 59 catches for 687 yards and two touchdowns last season for Seattle and New Orleans, spent a good chunk of the offseason training with Darnold. The two Southern California natives teamed up at Saddleback College in Orange County, which Darnold imagines will only help Shaheed further get up to speed with the Seahawks ahead of his first full season in Seattle.

“He’s a friendly receiver to throw to,” Darnold said. “... I’m looking forward to him continuing to get more reps and build that chemistry so that we can see him more often getting catches and doing his thing at the receiver position.”

Fans will have plenty of chances to get sneak peaks of Darnold’s and Shaheed’s progress on the HBO show “Hard Knocks” . As the quarterback of the reigning Super Bowl champions, Darnold understands he very well may be one of the focal points of the show.

It’s an impending experience Darnold is prepared for ahead of his ninth NFL season. After a second straight Pro Bowl season, Darnold has proven he belongs among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks after a much-criticized beginning to his professional career.

While Darnold isn’t one to reflect on how far he’s come, coach Mike Macdonald is more than willing to shower praise on his even-keeled quarterback as the Seahawks seek to defend their Super Bowl title.

“The thing I appreciate about Sam – and you can’t speak for everybody — but just every rep is a rep,” Macdonald said. “If it’s in the quarterback room and they’re going over the script, he treats that rep the same as he does here, if it’s practiced online or we’re in a game. It’s all the same. That’s the mental approach that we want all of our guys to take.”

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