The Seattle Seahawks' decision to pursue Sam Darnold and give him a big contract in the offseason was met with mixed reviews. On the one hand, he was coming off a breakout year and leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record.
On the other hand, he had a long record of shortcomings, and he didn't look good in the two biggest games of the season, including the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Mike Macdonald, however, never wavered. The Seahawks' head coach always had his quarterback's back, even in the few games he looked like the same young player struggling with the New York Jets.