Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold spent the 2023 NFL season as a backup with the San Francisco 49ers. Nonetheless, it was in this campaign that Darnold began to turn around his career in the league, following challenging stints with the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers.
Darnold was the backup, but he got an up-close view of how a successful coaching staff operates under head coach Kyle Shanahan. During a June 23 appearance on “Bussin’ With The Boys,” the Super Bowl LX champion shared the behind-the-scenes details that helped him grow.
“Just that staff, man, I think the main thing that I learned was there was an answer for everything,” Darnold said. “If one play didn’t have an answer for a certain scheme that the defense ran, that play couldn’t be in.
“Or if that play was in, we had to have a check for it if they brought that pressure or played that coverage. One thing I learned was that they went through every single play with a fine-tooth comb, and it was so great to see that because I was like, ‘Oh man, they’re literally looking at everything that this defense does.’
“If they ran one pressure, even if it was a bust by the defense in Week 1 and they hadn’t shown it all year, and it’s Week 10 but we don’t have an answer for it, we’re probably not going to run that play. The level of detail they had every single week was absolutely incredible.”
Sam Darnold Gets Blunt on Learning With 49ers
Moreover, while the decision to be the backup QB was a reality check for Darnold, who had been a starter at every level, it was also a blessing because of the knowledge he was able to absorb not just from the coaching staff but from his former teammates, too.
“I feel like I got my PhD in football when I went to San Francisco,” Darnold added. “That was such a blessing for me to be able to learn from Kyle, Brian Griese, the Kubiaks, Klay and Klint, just such a great coaching staff.
“And then to be able to not only learn from Brock, I’ve talked about learning from Brock quite a bit, but all the great players that are over there in front of the program: George Kittle, Fred Warner, Christian McCaffrey, [and] Trent Williams, of course.
“You have all these studs over there, and to learn some of their habits and things they do in the offseason, how they get better. It was such a great opportunity for me to go there and be a sponge and learn so much football, learn about how to take care of my body off the field.”
Sam Darnold Gets Blunt About His Recent Coaches
The 29-year-old was taken No. 3 overall in 2018 by the Jets, but after three seasons, New York cut ties with Darnold. He would land with the Panthers for two seasons before eventually ending up with the Niners.
Darnold went through various coaches in New York and Carolina, but it’s this recent run of coaches that has allowed him to find success from Shanahan to Kevin O’Connell to Klint Kubiak.
“It’s so fun, man, to talk about this, especially learning from a guy like Kyle and, like I mentioned, [Brian] Griese and the Kubiaks, and then being able to learn from [Kevin O’Connell] as well in Minnesota,” Darnold said. “I feel like I’ve learned a ton of good football, and I’m so grateful for that.”
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold Makes Feelings Clear on 49ers Stint