Darnold had two turnovers in the Vikings’ ugly 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round last season.
With Seattle earning the nod, Darnold will see his first major league game, although it will be his third matchup with the 49ers this season. Darnold and the ‘Hawks lost at home to the Niners in Week 1 before winning in Week 18 en route to winning the NFC West and the top seed in the conference.
Saturday night’s game will be the first time in NFL history that two teams have met in the first and last weeks of the season, as well as in the playoffs, according to NFL Research.
Darnold, who was sacked late in the Seahawks’ Week 1 loss, is 36 of 49 for 348 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in his two games this season against San Francisco.
The 2018 NFL Draft No. 3 overall pick by the New York Jets, Darnold has completed a career-high 67.7% of his passes this season for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions to earn his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection.
Not only will he be looking for his first career playoff win, but the Seahawks’ first postseason win since 2019.
Darnold and the top-seeded Seahawks open against the No. 6 49ers at 8:00 PM ET on Saturday.