Things have not gone according to plan for quarterback Sam Darnold thus far in his NFL career. He was a highly touted prospect coming out of USC in 2018, landing with the New York Jets as the No. 3 pick. It was a selection Jets fans had been waiting months for as they campaigned for their team to land the former Trojan one way or another.
Alas, that lovefest between Sam Darnold and the Jets didn’t last too long. After showing some promise as a rookie and in the second year of his career, Sam Darnold flamed out in New York in Year 3, with his infamous quote about seeing ghosts sealing his fate.
The Jets traded him to the Carolina Panthers during the 2021 offseason and things started hot with his new team. The Panthers were winning and Sam Darnold was playing well. Unfortunately, an injury to Christian McCaffrey derailed the entire operation and once again struggled.
In 2022, the Panthers opted to make a change, acquiring quarterback Baker Mayfield to be their starting quarterback. It turned out disastrously, as Sam Darnold was eventually starting once again. The results were much more positive as he helped keep the Panthers’ playoff hopes alive, going 4-2 in six starts,
That performance wasn’t enough to land him a guaranteed starting job, but Sam Darnold is ecstatic about where he ended up. He went back home, signing a deal with the San Francisco 49ers. He recently revealed while making an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast why he chose the 49ers in free agency despite not having a clear path to playing time.
“Guys are open, I mean, there’s a lot of guys open on dang near every play. It just seems like there’s a ton of answers. Great run game. I mean, whenever you can have a great run game as a quarterback, that’s always a comforting feeling. I think just with the certain weapons that they have, you know, Deebo (Samuel), (Brandon) Aiyuk, George (Kittle), obviously Christian (McCaffrey), Juice (Kyle Juszczyk), Jauan Jennings, like there’s so many guys you can go on and on.” (H/T Brenna White of NFL.com)
It is hard to argue against that logic as the 49ers have arguably the best supporting cast in the NFL. They are loaded with stars on both sides of the ball and Sam Darnold didn’t even mention the strength they have in the trenches, led by star left tackle Trent Williams.
Another thing that draws players to the 49ers is their coaching staff, led by head coach Kyle Shanahan. Sam Darnold also spoke glowingly of him and the work he has done throughout his career.
“But they’ve been there for so long, and Kyle’s been able to understand kind of what everyone does well, what they don’t do well, and I feel like every game plan he uses gets the most out of his guys,” Darnold said. “That’s a very good feeling as a quarterback, knowing that the [coach] is going to put everyone in the best position possible.”
There is still a chance that Sam Darnold gets on the field with the 49ers this season. He is currently competing with Trey Lance for first-team reps as Brock Purdy continues his rehab from the elbow injury suffered during the NFC Championship Game.
There is still some potential to be developed in Sam Darnold, which he showcased during his time on the field in 2022. Whether he gets the chance to put it on display in San Francisco is still up for debate, but he is going to make the most of his opportunity, whatever it may be.
