Pockets of San Francisco 49ers fans will almost certainly be rooting for the New England Patriots to defeat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX due to the long-standing rivalry between the 49ers and Seahawks.
Thus, 49ers legend Joe Montana may have broken some San Francisco hearts while speaking about Seattle starting quarterback Sam Darnold during a Tuesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Why Joe Montana is “all for Sam Darnold”
“Heck yeah. I’m all for Sam Darnold,” Montana explained, per Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. “The things that he’s been through, the places that he’s played, the games that he’s won, even here in San Francisco before he got to Minnesota, like c’mon. I saw a stat that he’s won 28 games in the last two teams he was with. And he’s now getting another chance here, and he’s doing the same thing. I’m pulling for him.”
Montana was referencing how Darnold guided the 2024 Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record before he joined the Seahawks in free agency last March. More recently, Seattle entered the playoffs with a record of 14-3.
Previously, Darnold spent the 2023 campaign as a backup with the 49ers after the 2018 first-round draft pick was discarded by both the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.
In November 2025 some wondered if Darnold would always fold on the biggest of stages after he tossed four interceptions during a Seattle loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He has since quieted such chatter via playoff victories over the 49ers and the Rams.
In the NFC title game versus Los Angeles, Darnold passed for 346 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Why Joe Montana is happy for Sam Darnold
Darnold’s Seahawks crushed the Niners to the tune of 41-6 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. While that was a brutal blow for members of the San Francisco faithful, Montana is nevertheless hoping that Darnold gets his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
“I’m an NFC guy most of the time anyway, but I’m all about Sam,” Montana added. “He’s a good guy, a good player. I’m happy for him.”
As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Seahawks as 4.5-point favorites for their Super Bowl LX showdown with the Patriots.
