Warren Moon
Sides With Sam Darnold
In Super Bowl QB Debate
Published
February 5, 2026
12:30 AM PST
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TMZSports.com
Warren Moon is making his Super Bowl QB pick loud and clear — and he’s rolling with Sam Darnold over Drake Maye.
The Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports Darnold is red-hot right now … pointing to the quarterback’s recent year as the biggest reason he’d trust him on football’s biggest stage. Moon says Darnold has been slinging it with confidence, hitting tight windows and — most importantly — taking care of the football.
“He’s doing it with his arm, he’s running the ball when he needs to and he’s making good decisions right now,” Moon said. “I think it’s going to carry over to the Super Bowl.”
Moon says protecting the football is a massive shift from earlier in Darnold’s career — when turnovers and shaky decision-making held him back. He didn’t hold back when talking about Darnold’s early days, either.
“If you’re not put into the right situation with the right groups around you, then you might have a tough time with the start of your career,” Moon said. “I think that’s what happened with the Jets, a very dysfunctional organization to this day.”
Moon believes Darnold rebuilt himself once he got into a better system … and now he’s cashing in ahead of Super Bowl LX.
As for Maye, Moon isn’t writing him off totally. He says the Patriots’ QB hasn’t looked sharp throwing the ball in the playoffs, especially while battling an undisclosed injury and ugly weather conditions. Moon did give Maye props for using his legs to keep drives alive — including stepping up during a snowstorm game in Denver — but says his arm hasn’t been nearly as dangerous.
Ultimately, Moon thinks Darnold is peaking at exactly the right time … and if his hot streak keeps rolling, he could be the guy stealing the show on Super Bowl Sunday.
