Getty New San Francisco 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold during his time with the New York Jets.
Heading into free agency, John Lynch noted that the San Francisco 49ers were looking to add a veteran quarterback in free agency, but few expected that veteran quarterback to be Sam Darnold, the former third-overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. When asked about adding Darnold to the 49ers’ offense, Kyle Shanahan had nothing but complementary things to say about his new quarterback, whom he feels is a perfect fit in the Niners’ offense.
“Sam has as good of a skill set as there is,” Shanahan said via 49ers WebZone. “That’s why he went as the third pick in the draft. When you study his play, you can see it too. I don’t think he’s always been in the best situations, which is tough for quarterbacks. It’s tough for all players, but it is one position, and it depends on the other ten guys around you too.
“And I think Sam has played and done some really good things in this league. [He] hasn’t won a ton of games and been thrown in some situations where you’re going to keep both teams in the game because you got to keep slinging that ball and give your team a chance to win. And so you don’t always have the best stats, but you see the ability.
“And he’s always had that ability since his first year in college when we started watching him, and there’s no reason he can’t do it. I’m excited to get to know him as a person. I’ve always liked him as an athlete. I’ve always liked him as a prospect. I like how he throws. I like his athletic ability.”
While it’s easy for some to see Shanahan’s comments as being overly optimistic about Darnold, as his struggles at the NFL level are very well documented, the Niners were linked to trading for Darnold in 2021 and even reportedly offered their first-round pick in that year’s draft for the USC signal-caller. If Darnold can live up to the expectations Shanahan, Lynch, and company had two springs ago, his signing could look like an incredible get, especially if he ends up as the team’s Week 1 starter.
An NFL Insider Believes Sam Darnold Could Start Week 1
Discussing the 49ers’ decision to sign Darnold in free agency on “NFL Now,” NFL Insider Ian Rapoport delivered a very interesting report about who he expects to start in Week 1 for San Francisco.
Based on Shanahan’s comments to the media, it certainly sounds like the 49ers expect Lance to be ready in time for training camp, but if he suffers a setback or for some reason can’t, having a quarterback like Darnold with 55 career starts on his resume is certainly a nice safety valve.
Ian Rapoport: “We do not know what Trey Lance is going to be. If he continues the trajectory he’s been on, then I think certainly it seems Sam Darnold will more likely than not be the starter going into the season.”
Sam Darnold is Excited to Join the San Francisco 49ers
Addressing the media for the first time as a member of the 49ers, Darnold explained why he signed with San Francisco and what he likes about the organization.
“As you guys can probably imagine, Monday is pretty crazy, especially as a free agent the first time around,” Darnold said via the 49ers website. “I had great people in my corner to be able to narrow the scope a little bit in terms of what I was looking for. I think at the end of the day, it was a fairly easy decision for me to be able to come here and be able to go to work. That’s what I’m most excited for is to be able to work with Kyle, Brian Griese and all the coaches on this staff and again, all the players, the great personnel that is around this locker room. From top to bottom, just excited to get started in this organization and get to work.”
Because he joined the 49ers on the first day of free agency, it’s clear Darnold knew what San Francisco’s quarterback situation was before he signed on the dotted line. If the Capistrano Beach, California native believes Shanahan can get the most out of his physical talents, it’s safe to say he signed with the right team.