Sam Darnold was once a promising young quarterback set to be the face of the Jets franchise.
Yet Darnold, the former No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, had three underwhelming seasons in New York. In the three seasons since then, he has spent time with the Panthers and 49ers before landing with the Vikings.
The 2024 season may be one final chance for Darnold to prove himself. He was initially thrust into a quarterback competition with 2024 draft pick J.J. McCarthy, but the Michigan product tore his meniscus and is out for the season.
MORE VIKINGS: J.J. McCarthy injury details | QB depth chart & alternatives | Fantasy fallout
That leaves Darnold as the top QB on the Vikings' depth chart heading into the 2024 campaign.
Here's everything you need to know about Darnold's career timeline, stats and the memes that have followed him.
MORE PRESEASON: Week 1 rookie QB grades | Week 1 overreactions
Sam Darnold career timeline
Darnold made his NFL debut as a 21-year-old for the Jets in 2018. New York selected him No. 3 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft after Baker Mayfield and Saquon Barkley were off the board.
The Jets' prized rookie spent three years in New York, disappointing fans after a stellar two seasons at USC. He started all 38 games he played with New York, but the organization decided to trade him to the Carolina Panthers in 2021.
Darnold was the primary starter in Carolina, starting 17 of the 18 games he played across two seasons. He played 12 games in his first season and just six in his second season due to injuries.
The 49ers signed Darnold to a one-year deal to be a backup to Brock Purdy in 2023. Darnold appeared in 10 games, starting just one before entering free agency where he signed with the Vikings for the upcoming 2024 season.
MORE: NFL Preseason injury tracker | RB depth charts
Sam Darnold NFL stats
Darnold hasn't had much success in the NFL despite the lofty expectations set ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft. He's primarily been the starter throughout his career but mostly a mediocre and ineffective option under center.
Here's a look at his NFL stats:
| Year | Team | GP-GS | Comp | Comp% | Pass Yards | Pass TDs | INT |
| 2018 | Jets | 13-13 | 239 | 57.7% | 2,865 | 17 | 15 |
| 2019 | Jets | 13-13 | 273 | 61.9% | 3,024 | 19 | 13 |
| 2020 | Jets | 12-12 | 217 | 59.6% | 2,208 | 9 | 11 |
| 2021 | Panthers | 12-11 | 243 | 59.9% | 2,527 | 9 | 13 |
| 2022 | Panthers | 6-6 | 82 | 58.6% | 1,143 | 7 | 3 |
| 2023 | 49ers | 10-1 | 28 | 60.9% | 297 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | — | 66-56 | 1,082 | 59.7% | 12,064 | 63 | 56 |
Sam Darnold college stats
Darnold was a standout quarterback at USC during his freshman and sophomore seasons. He opted to enter the NFL Draft after two years.
| Year | Team | GP | Comp | Comp% | Pass Yards | Pass TDs | INT |
| 2016 | USC | 13 | 246 | 67.2% | 3,086 | 31 | 9 |
| 2017 | USC | 14 | 303 | 63.1% | 4,143 | 26 | 13 |
| Total | — | 27 | 549 | 64.9% | 7,229 | 57 | 22 |
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Sam Darnold 'seeing ghosts' and 'mono' memes
Although Darnold hasn't given fans must-see highlights each Sunday, he has been the target of two hilarious memes that are still shared today. Both came within a two-month span during the 2019 season.
Darnold contracted mononucleosis early in the 2019 season and was listed as out indefinitely. The Jets played the Browns on Monday Night Football when ESPN showed a graphic of Darnold with "Out Indefinitely: Mononucleosis" behind him.
Didn't get to watch last night's game so just now seeing how hilarious this graphic was pic.twitter.com/bIx3VsifbU
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) September 17, 2019
Sam Darnold breaks down his infamous Mono situation with the Jets.@pardonmytake pic.twitter.com/7JAZqOFVr9
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 11, 2023
The second came just a few weeks later after Darnold returned to the field. He was mic'd up during the Jets vs. Patriots game and was caught saying "I'm seeing ghosts" on the sideline.
Sam Darnold is mic’d up and he came to the sidelines and said, “I’m seeing ghosts.”
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) October 22, 2019
(Via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/9MoM6Rkmo5
The Jets lost that game 33-0, and Darnold completed just 11-32 passes for 86 yards and four interceptions.
He may have seen ghosts on the night of Oct. 21, 2019, but he's also been haunted by this meme ever since.