5 QBs Most Likely to Resurrect Their NFL Careers in 2026 After Sam Darnold's Super Bowl LX Run

The NFL is a copycat league. When something works for one team, others will inevitably give it a try.

With Sam Darnold going from failed first-round pick to journeyman to starting quarterback for a Super Bowl champion less than a year after signing as a free agent, it won't be long before organizations are hunting the next reclamation project to fill their void under center.

While Darnold's journey has been a unique one, several other QBs who haven't had the best start to their respective careers are desperately seeking a second chance this offseason.

Darnold's success with the Seattle Seahawks should give a boost to the potential opportunities for these struggling veterans.

With that in mind, let's highlight a handful of quarterbacks who could resurrect their careers in wake of the Seahawks star's redemption.

Daniel Jones

AP Photo/John Raoux

Daniel Jones was on his way to having a Darnold-like redemption arc before injuries derailed his and the Indianapolis Colts' season.

Jones' journey from the New York Giants to Indianapolis had some similarities to the winding road Darnold took to become a Super Bowl champ. The two passers even had their paths directly cross in 2024 when they worked together with the Minnesota Vikings under renowned QB whisperer Kevin O'Connell.

That valuable developmental time helped Jones not only win a starting role at his next stop but also emerge as a bona fide MVP candidate during the first half of the 2025 NFL season.

While his renaissance came to an unfortunate end when he suffered a fractured fibula and a torn Achilles, it was readily apparent that he still had plenty left in the tank and could perform at the highest level when healthy. He's poised to follow up on that comeback effort in 2026, whether with the Colts or another team desperate for help under center.

It's far too early to tell if Jones will be able to lead his team to Super Bowl glory, but Darnold has shown that a clean bill of health, a strong supporting offensive cast and a quality defense is more than enough to claim a Lombardi Trophy in the modern NFL.

Trey Lance

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Trey Lance has been one of the more disappointing first-round quarterback prospects in NFL history, but there's still a chance he could restore his fortunes.

Lance and Darnold were both No. 3 overall picks who failed to find success with the organization that drafted them. While the latter had ample opportunity early in his career and couldn't deliver for the New York Jets, injuries limited the former to just a handful of starts before the San Francisco 49ers opted to move on with Brock Purdy at the reins.

So far, San Francisco's decision was the right one. Purdy has been a massive boon for the club, while Lance has spent the past three years floundering as a seldom-used backup for both the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers.

While Lance hasn't done much to inspire confidence in a resurgence—his lone 2025 start resulted in a loss, although it notably came while working with the rest of L.A.'s second-stringers during a meaningless Week 18 game—he did make noticeable strides over some extremely shaky performances from earlier in his career.

He was sharp during the 2025 preseason as well, which was a promising development for a quarterback whom most have long written off as a massive draft bust.

It may not be time to close the book on Lance's NFL career quite yet. He's still just 25 years old and possesses many unteachable traits that made the Niners give up the farm to land him near the top of the 2021 draft.

If Lance spends at least one more season as a primary backup refining his game, he could put himself in position to compete for a starting job in 2027 if he catches on with a quality team this offseason and hones his craft.

Kenny Pickett

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Like Darnold, Kenny Pickett was a first-rounder who didn't last long or accomplish much with his first NFL team. The Pittsburgh Steelers moved on from the No. 20 overall pick in 2022 after two seasons, a stretch in which he went 14-10 across 24 starts.

Pickett has been bouncing around the league since flaming out in Pittsburgh. After winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles as Jalen Hurts' backup in 2024, he was dealt to the Cleveland Browns. He failed to separate himself in a crowded QB competition, resulting in a trade to the Las Vegas Raiders in late August.

Despite Vegas' struggles this past season, Pickett couldn't usurp Geno Smith as the team's QB1. With his rookie deal now complete and a new regime taking over in Sin City, Pickett is a good bet to end up with his fifth team in as many seasons in 2026.

While Pickett could try once again to compete for a starting job somewhere, it would benefit the New Jersey native to follow in Darnold's footsteps and land a QB2 role with a stable franchise that has a history of developing signal-callers.

Per ESPN's Kalyn Kahler, Jordan Palmer—Darnold's private quarterback coach—described his client's decision to spend a "redshirt year" with Kyle Shanahan as "going to Harvard, or night school."  The 49ers were able to build up Darnold's confidence and skills, a move that paid dividends over the following two seasons.

Although it may not pay well or result in immediate stardom, such a move would give Pickett a far better chance to revive his career.

Malik Willis

AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

Of all the free-agent quarterbacks up for grabs this offseason, Malik Willis appears to have the most potential for a Darnold-esque resurgence in 2026.

Although Willis didn't enter the NFL as a Day 1 pick, he did generate a good bit of predraft hype in 2022 before coming off the board as a third-round selection.

Willis' two seasons with the Tennessee Titans were woeful, a span in which the QB appeared in 11 games (starting three games) while only completing 53 percent of his throws for 350 yards and zero touchdowns with three interceptions and 14 sacks taken.

When the Green Bay Packers came calling looking for a suitable backup to Jordan Love during the 2024 offseason, the Titans were willing to move on from Willis for a meager seventh-round pick. Fortunately for the 26-year-old, the switch to Titletown has changed the trajectory of his career.

Although he's spent the last two seasons behind Love on the depth chart, Willis has looked like a completely different quarterback in the limited opportunities he's had to show his stuff.

Willis has displayed massive growth as a passer in Green Bay. Despite playing the same number of games as he did in Tennessee, he's racked up 927 yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions while completing a blistering 78.7 percent of his throws. He's also been a highly effective runner, piling up 261 yards and three scores on 42 totes.

Those performances should result in Willis cashing in this offseason. Spotrac assigned a market value of $35.5 million per year to the 26-year-old, a hefty sum but also one of the more affordable options for any team in need of a starter in free agency.

Willis is going to have a chance to thrive in his second NFL act, but he'll need to deliver results like Darnold did when he finally earned an opportunity to shine.

Zach Wilson

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Zach Wilson hasn't come close to living up to his status as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft. Like Darnold, he was cursed with the poor fortune of being selected by the New York Jets—an organization littered with failed QB prospects dating back decades.

The Jets stuck with Wilson for nearly as long as they did Darnold, although by Year 2, the once-promising quarterback had largely fallen out of favor in the Big Apple.

He was supposed to spend the 2023 season working and improving behind Aaron Rodgers, a plan that went off the rails in Week 1 when the future Hall of Famer went down with a season-ending injury and Wilson was thrust back into the starting lineup.

New York's brass had seen enough by the 2024 offseason, unceremoniously shipping Wilson over to the Denver Broncos. Wilson failed to beat out rookie Bo Nix and veteran Jarrett Stidham, slotting in as the third-stringer during his lone campaign in the Mile High City.

Despite generating a mild amount of hype after linking up with the Miami Dolphins in free agency, Wilson never became a viable Tua Tagovailoa replacement and only saw the field for 26 offensive snaps this past season. He'll be back on the open market this spring and hoping to finally find some stability in his sixth career campaign.

Working in Wilson's favor is his age, as he won't turn 27 until August. That's the age Darnold was during his resurgent season with the Vikings, showing that it's still possible to develop into an upper-echelon quarterback despite failing to reach that ceiling early on.

While Wilson hasn't benefited from a year rehabilitating his game under the likes of Kyle Shanahan or Kevin O'Connell, his time with Mike McDaniel might have had a similar impact. It'll be worth monitoring his free agency foray and seeing how he competes for a larger role in 2026.