Outside of the Wild Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles last January, San Francisco 49ers fans likely enjoyed little about the playoffs.
Especially watching the Seattle Seahawks dominate the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60, three weeks after ousting the Niners in the divisional round in embarrassing fashion.
And watching it being done on the Niners' home turf, Levi's Stadium, made things that much worse.
If there is some solace for the Faithful, though, it arguably comes from the Hawks' starting quarterback, Sam Darnold, who exorcised plenty of ghosts with a workmanlike 202 yards passing and a touchdown en route to the 29-13 victory over the Pats.
During his postgame presser, Darnold didn't shy away from reflecting on his brief time with San Francisco, describing how important that 2023 season was in turning his own disappointing career around in all the right ways.
Sam Darnold pays 49ers the ultimate compliment after Super Bowl win
An understandably jubilant Darnold was asked about his one-year tenure in the Bay Area and what kind of effect that had on his career.
"It’s funny how it works, Darnold told reporters. "I didn’t play great football the first few years of my career. Then I come here to San Francisco and I learned a ton. And I think because of that year in San Francisco I was able to learn a ton. Learn from Brock [Purdy] and coach [Kyle] Shanahan. And I was able to kind of learn and go to Minnesota and play good football there. I was able to come to Seattle and do the same.
"So, it's funny how things work, but that's life. I'm gonna continue to keep working."
“It’s funny how it works. I didn’t play great football the first few years of my career, and then I came here to San Francisco, and I learned a ton. And I think because of that year in San Francisco, I was able to learn a ton. Learn from Brock (Purdy) and coach Shanahan.”
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) February 9, 2026
Sam… pic.twitter.com/3s5l4x6Ca2
Darnold, of course, previously flamed out with both the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers prior to signing a one-year free-agent deal with the 49ers in 2023 to back up Purdy, the last time the Niners went to the Super Bowl.
Despite seeing limited time on the field during games that season, Darnold nevertheless has continued to reiterate what that lone season behind Purdy and under Shanahan has meant to him.
With back-to-back highly successful years under his belt since, first with the Vikings and now with Seattle, it's hard to argue.
And while that won't ease the sting of the Seahawks' latest championship, especially in light of how long it has been since San Francisco's own, at least one prominent Hawks figure is tipping his cap to the 49ers as best as he can.