Former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri is now a Hall of Famer. (AP photo)

SAN FRANCISCO – Sam Darnold is no stranger to the Bay Area.

The Seattle Seahawks QB, some may remember, spent time as a backup with the 49ers under the tutelage of head coach Kyle Shanahan in 2023, and he says he learned a lot.

“I would definitely say it helped a ton,” he said. “Learning about offensive scheme. And more importantly, I think I’ve hit on this talking about my time in San Francisco, but learning about defenses. Understand how we’re attacking defenses, what schemes need certain coverages.

“It was a great experience for me, something crucial, I think, to me growing as a player.”

Darnold is clearly not the same quarterback he was with the New York Jets, or even his next stop with the Carolina Panthers. He’s been his own worst critic.

“I’m very internally motivated,” he said. “I’m going to push myself harder than any external force could ever push me. That goes back to how my parents raised me to be.”

Yet he appreciates the moment.

“It’s great to be in this situation, to be playing in the Super Bowl, to be competing with those guys in that locker room. But I understand as well that I don’t think this would be possible without the bumps I went through early on in my career.”

And now he’s enjoying the Super Bowl experience, and he had an interesting take.

“It’s been great man,” he said. “There were quite a few players that shared the consensus it kind of feels like training camp again. We’re all here in the hotel, we’re all able to hang out and spend time together, where during the course of a normal week it doesn’t necessarily happen. Yeah, we’re hanging out in the locker room from 6:30 in the morning to 6:30 at night, but being able to eat snack together, little things that you don’t get to do during the course of the regular season. It’s great to be with the guys, bussing to the practice facility, bussing back … It’s just a key for myself but a lot of guys in that locker room, I knew they feel the same way.”

Darnold and the other Seattle QBs stayed on the field after practice in San Jose to work with passing game coordinator Jake Peetz.

DARNOLD ON MAYE

Darnold knows he’s not competing against New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, but rather the New England defense. But he’s a fan of the Patriots QB.

“I know Drake’s such a good player, he’s earned the right to be in the MVP conversation,” Darnold said. “And I know a lot of guys on our defense feel the same way.”

Maye, of course, fell just short of that honor as the Rams Matthew Stafford got one more first place vote.

VRABEL A VINATIERI FAN

Former Patriots and Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri was announced as a Hall of Fame inductee on Thursday night, and earlier in the day Patriots coach Mike Vrabel talked about him. Vrabel played with Vinatieri during the early days of the Patriots dynasty.

“Well, you always knew that when he kicked, they were going to go in,” Vrabel said. “I think that wa just kind of what we always thought and knew if we got into those types of situations.

“The kick in the snow (the famous Snow Bowl playoff win over the Raiders), that’s probably the greatest feat – one of the greatest feats I’ve ever seen on a football field. You could barely run, let alone approach and kick a football that length.”

And there was a lesson there.

“So obviously we talked about everybody means a lot to the team,” Vrabel said. “Dring those years that I was here, Adam was certainly one of those players that meant a lot to the football team and our success.”

SEATTLE NEWS

There’s been some good and some bad for the Seahawks in the last couple of practice days. First, quarterback Sam Darnold late this week finally had a full practice, his sore oblique just about healed.

Meanwhile, Seahawks rookie safety Nick Emmanwori had suffered a low ankle sprain in practice in the middle of the week and didn’t practice late in the week. But he did practice on Friday, and now has no injury designation.

“No designation for Nick,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald told NFL pool reporter Kalyn Kahler. “Turns out he’s alive.”

The Seahawks lone injury designation is fullback Robbie Ouzts, questionable with a neck injury.

LANDRY, SPILLANE LIMITED

Two key Patriot defenders are questionable, as linebackers Robert Spillane (ankle) and Harold Landry (knee) were limited in practice.

While the Seahawks are practicing Saturday, the Patriot will return to Palo Alto (Stanford) for a team picture.