Sam Darnold is better than people expected after the first six seasons of his career. By that point, the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft had gone from bad starter to seemingly long-term backup. He might not have ever been able to turn his career around except for an injury to the Minnesota Vikings' J.J. McCarthy.
That was just before the beginning of last season, after the Vikings had signed Darnold in free agency and after McCarthy suffered a knee injury. Darnold was named QB1, led Minnesota to a 14-3 record, and a playoff spot. The knock on him throughout his career did not fully go away, though.