Who Are the Quarterbacks in Super Bowl LX?

Super Bowl LX pits the New England Patriots versus the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Who are the starting quarterbacks in the big game?

Who Are the Quarterbacks in This Year's Super Bowl?

The starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl are Sam Darnold of the Seahawks and Drake Mayeof the Patriots. Two years ago, this Super Bowl quarterback matchup would have seemed impossible, and now over a hundred million people are about to watch it unfold live!

What are the backstories behind Darnold and Maye, and what makes this such a unique and improbable Super Bowl matchup?

Where Did Sam Darnold Go to College?

Sam Darnold was a 4-star quarterback prospect coming out of San Clemente HS in Southern California in the mid-2010s. He was recruited by and committed to his hometown USC, but upon arriving as a freshman, he was offered a chance to play linebacker immediately instead of sitting at 3rd on the quarterback depth chart. At 6’5, 215 pounds, Darnold had the physicality to line up anywhere on the field, but his heart was set on being a quarterback (a move that would prove to be quite prudent). He patiently redshirted during the 2015 season and prepared for 2016, working his way up to becoming the starter by Week 3 after an underwhelming 1-2 start.

From that point on, Darnold shone: posting a 20-4 record with the Trojans over the next 2 seasons while throwing for over 7,000 passing yards with 57 touchdowns and a sterling 153.7 passer rating. He had star written all over him. Darnold declared for the 2018 NFL Draft and was taken 3rd overall by the Jets (the 2nd quarterback taken after Heisman winner Baker Mayfield). From the bright lights of Southern Cal to the bright lights of New York, the Jets finally had a franchise quarterback around whom to build. MetLife was buzzing … for about one play.

Sam Darnold Grades as One of the NFL's Worst Quarterbacks with the Jets and Panthers

Sam Darnold’s first NFL pass in Week 1, 2018, went the other way for a pick-six to the Lions’ Quandre Diggs. The remainder of Darnold’s tenure with the Jets didn’t go much better. The high-first rounder failed to deliver results, posting a 13-25 record over 3 seasons with a paltry ratio of 45 touchdowns to 44 turnovers. A completion percentage of 60% and a quarterback rating of 80 were not cutting it. Darnold was labeled an irredeemable bust and traded to the Carolina Panthers for peanuts prior to the 2021 season.

Darnold’s stint in Carolina began with a bang, winning each of his first 3 starts with the Panthers before being placed on IR with a shoulder blade injury. The team couldn’t recapture their winning magic upon Darnold’s return, nor could they attain that same level of success the following season. Darnold was cut by Carolina in 2022 after leading the team to an 8-9 record over parts of two seasons. The former #3-overall pick had been in the league for 5 years and had just that 3-game winning streak in 2021 to get excited about. Every other showing from Sam Darnold was subpar. Was he a major bust? By all metrics, yes.

Kyle Shanahan and Kevin O'Connell Turn Sam Darnold's Career Around

The 49ers signed Darnold to be their backup quarterback in 2023, and the then-26-year-old started just one game (a loss in the final week of the regular season). Darnold did just enough in his limited workload to attract the attention of Minnesota Vikings head coach and quarterback whisperer Kevin O’Connell. Darnold was handed the reins of a talented Vikings squad in 2024 and, under the tutelage of O’Connell, went nuclear.

The Vikings began rattling off wins, finishing 14-3 as Darnold threw for a career-high 4,319 yards with a 35-12 TD-INT ratio while posting his first-ever passer rating north of 100. Who was this guy? Certainly not the same Sam Darold that was “seeing ghosts” with the Jets. This was a renaissance season for Darnold at age 27. It took 7 years, but the prospect had finally arrived.

Sam Darnold Is Signed by the Seahawks

Despite losing in the first round of the playoffs with Minnesota, Sam Darnold was able to leverage his breakout season into a $100 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks prior to the 2025 season. Nothing but excellence would ensue. A second consecutive 14-3 season for Darnold means he’s 28-6 over his last 2 regular seasons. Not only did Darnold set career highs in 2025 in completion percentage (67.7%) and yards per attempt (8.5), but he won 2 playoff games against divisional rivals with a combined line of 470 passing yards, 4 TDs, and no picks.

Two years ago, as a backup on the 49ers with a career record of 21-35, the thought of Sam Darnold leading his team to the Super Bowl was laughable. No one is laughing now.

Where Did Drake Maye Go to College?

Drake Maye was a high-4, low-5-star prospect coming out of Myers Park HS in Charlotte, NC, in the class of 2021. The big dogs of college football, like Alabama and Georgia, had their eye on Maye, but the kid decided to remain in state, committing to coach Mack Brown and the UNC Tar Heels.

After redshirting his freshman season in Chapel Hill, Maye assumed the starting job in 2022 and immediately showed why he was regarded so highly by scouts. The arm talent was legit, and he could move, too! The redshirt freshman threw for over 4,300 yards en route to a 9-5 season and a Holiday Bowl appearance versus Oregon, in which Maye threw 3 touchdowns and ran for 45 yards in a close loss to Bo Nix’s Ducks.

Maye and the Tar Heels kept the pedal to the floorboard in 2023, putting up another winning record for a school that is not known for their pigskin prowess. In 2 seasons of work for North Carolina, Drake Maye posted a record of 17-9 with nearly 8,000 yards passing and a stellar TD-INT ratio of 62-16. He also ran for 16 touchdowns across those two seasons, earning the dual-threat badge.

Drake Maye Gets Drafted by a Bad Patriots Team

Only 2 quarterbacks were more highly touted out of college than Drake Maye in 2024, and both of them had Heismans. The 2022 Heisman winner, Caleb Williams, went #1 to the Bears that year, and 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels went #2 to the Commanders, allowing the New England Patriots to pick up an absolute stud and Tom Brady replacement at #3 overall in the form of Drake Maye.

Why is it so improbable that Maye would reach the Super Bowl in his 2nd NFL season, given his pedigree? Because of the team he inherited. Bill Belichick was losing his magic toward the end of his tenure in Boston and finished with a 4-13 record in 2023 before bowing out and heading to, of all places, the UNC Tar Heels.

Belichick's successor, Jerod Mayo, struggled. Mayo's 2024 Patriots finished 4-13 and in last place in the AFC East. New England had not finished last in the division in consecutive years since 1999 and 2000. Drake Maye was 3-9 in his 12 starts in that forgettable rookie campaign.

Maye's yards per attempt were low, his interception rate was high, and worst of all, he was sacked 34 times and led the league in lost fumbles. Coach Mayo's O-line couldn't protect their prized asset in the pocket. Drake Maye was going to wind up in the hospital before he could ever blossom into a franchise QB. Ask anyone around the league in 2024 if the Patriots looked like they were one year away from a Super Bowl appearance, and the answer would have been a firm no.

Drake Maye Plays at an MVP Level in 2025

Patriots owner Robert Kraft made the astute move to pull the plug on coach Jerod Mayo after just one season, handing the headset to coaching veteran Mike Vrabel. After having his rookie year wasted, no one would have blamed Drake Maye for a slow start to the 2025 season. Instead, he embarked on an MVP pace and elevated his team's play along with him.

A 14-3 record and league highs in passer rating (113.5), yards per attempt (8.9), and completion percentage (72.0%) are what put Drake Maye neck and neck with Matthew Stafford this season for NFL MVP.

In the postseason, Maye and the Pats took care of the Chargers and Texans at home before going on the road and winning a 10-7 slugfest of an AFC Championship Game in blizzard conditions at Mile High in Denver. Moving the ball downfield was nearly impossible in the second half of that game, and Maye was still able to deliver a pair of highlight plays—a 31-yard flea flicker pass complete downfield to Mack Hollins and a beautiful improvised scramble around the edge on 3rd and 5 in the two-minute drill to pick up the first down and put the dagger in the Broncos.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.