Sam Darnold is the talk of the NFL world after the quarterback won Super Bowl LX for the Seattle Seahawks. While he didn’t have a perfect game, he showed enough poise and patience to beat the New England Patriots, 29-13.
The question now becomes where Darnold lies in the pantheon of NFL quarterbacks in 2026.
Los Angeles Rams defensive back Quentin Lake, who’s faced Darnold a few times in his career, told FanDuel TV’s Kay Adams that the Seahawks quarterback is “steady” but doesn’t inspire same fear when playing against him like Lake’s own quarterback, Matthew Stafford.
“If you’re talking like ‘Matthew Stafford’ fear? No. To be completely honest,” Lake said. “He’s a great quarterback. He’s a world champion. He’s a Super Bowl champion quarterback. You can’t take that away from him. But personally, I’ve seen what fear is. I go against a Hall of Fame quarterback every single day. And that’s a different level.”
Is Sam Darnold feared by NFL DBs?
Division rival Quentin Lake weighs in:@quentin_lake | @heykayadamspic.twitter.com/QPHVAo4dv3
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 10, 2026
Why would Lake say this? Just look at the on-field production between Darnold and Stafford in the games that they faced off. Darnold went 2-1 against L.A., but threw for 895 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. Stafford, meanwhile, had 961 yards passing, eight touchdowns and no interceptions. Similar yards and touchdowns, but the 6:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio doesn’t do Darnold any favors.
Now, Darnold proved to be a great quarterback in the playoffs. But when it comes to the fear Lake feels when facing Darnold vs. Stafford, it sounds like there’s no contest.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams DB doesn’t fear Sam Darnold like he does Matthew Stafford