Darnold’s ‘fantastically horrible’ Seahawks sketch turns into fan-favorite merch
Jan 27, 2026, 10:51 AM | Updated: 3:43 pm
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has become an immediate fan favorite in his first year as a Hawk, leveraging his underdog story with unique tales, including one about his grandfather, Dick Hammer, who was an actual Marlboro Man.
As the 12s learn more about their Super Bowl-bound quarterback, other details of his life have become apparent, like his poor artistic ability in drawing the Seahawks logo.
KIRO Newsradio reporter Luke Duecy provided all the details on just how bad Darnold’s drawing skills were, though his creation earned a spot in Duecy’s wardrobe and merchandise across the region.
“When Sam Darnold was with the Carolina Panthers, he was asked to draw a Panthers logo,” Duecy said on “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. “Well, during his first press conference, you might remember this here in Seattle, when he was introduced to the fans, he was asked to draw the Seahawks logo.”
Darnold’s initial reaction to the idea of drawing a Seahawks logo was “Oh my God, can I leave now?” As he began to draw, Darnold admitted, “That’s already so bad,” as his drawing skills proved far inferior to his passing ability.
#SamDarnold draws the #Seahawk and they put it on sweatshirts and T’s… I have one! I’ll show it to you on the @KIRONewsradio YouTube feed coming up at 830AM @Mynorthwest pic.twitter.com/6l3M3qpfVJ
— Luke Duecy (@LukeKIRO) January 27, 2026
“Well, that’s what he drew, it’s absolutely horrible,” Duecy said. “If he were a five-year-old, we’d be saying, ‘That’s beautiful, honey, that’s fantastic.’ But he’s an adult.”
Duecy continued on about how Darnold came to see his artwork come to fruition, and Duecy went ahead and purchased one of his own.
“At one of his practices with his teammates, someone made this into a t-shirt and hoodies, and they presented it to them, again, ‘Oh my God’ is his reaction,” Duecy said. “I bought one, I bought it in blue, but it came in gray. I don’t care. I got one. It’s fantastic, fantastically horrible.”
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to “Seattle’s Morning News” weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
