During the Super Bowl’s opening game, fans started chanting “Ham for Sam.”
The Seahawks quarterback was playfully honored with a chant of “Ham for Thumb” during a media event following “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” where personality Guillermo presented him with a “Ham for Sam” button, a hat, and a serape.
“They say Maye is gay,” Guillermo remarked to Darnold, who was at the podium. “But I think, honestly, ham for Sam.”
This was when the late-night star handed Darnold a quirky gift he had brought along.
Darnold briefly donned a hat resembling a large piece of plastic ham, then held up the serape.
Afterward, Guillermo led the audience in praising chants for Darnold, which seemed to make the Seahawks quarterback a bit shy.
“No, no, you all are great,” Darnold said with a smile, quickly adding, “You don’t need to do that. That’s really nice. Thank you.”
Darnold, who spent his initial three years in the NFL—particularly in New York where he was a significant storyline during the playoffs— faced challenges before moving to Carolina in 2021.
Over the last two years, he has seen a comeback, becoming a standout quarterback with the Vikings and now with Seattle, achieving 4,048 passing yards and 25 touchdowns during the 2025 season.
The quarterback addressed questions for about an hour on the Super Bowl’s opening night.
In addition to Darnold, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” personalities made appearances at various press conferences that evening, including a humorous exchange between Guillermo and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
With ongoing news about the rivalry between Kimmel and Matt Damon, Guillermo asked Vrabel if he wanted to tell Damon, “That guy sucks.”
