Talent is not everything as a young prospect in the NFL. You also need a bit of luck with the team you land with, and so far, Sam Darnold has found himself in dysfunctional situations.
The 26-year-old quarterback has made a disappointing start to his career in the professional ranks after being taken third overall in 2018, but there have been few more difficult places to play in the league than the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers.
But Darnold's fortunes could be changing in 2023 after signing with the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has created one of the most quarterback-friendly offenses in the NFL, with seventh-round pick Brock Purdy able to step in and thrive in 2022 after Jimmy Garappolo's season-ending injury.
And Darnold has enjoyed his experience in the Bay Area so far, showing plenty of confidence that he has found the right place for him to shine in the NFL.
“Guys are open. I mean, there’s a lot of guys open on dang near every play,” Darnold told Pardon My Take. “It just seems like there’s a ton of answers (to why he chose the 49ers). Great run game. I mean, whenever you can have a great run game as a quarterback, that’s always a comforting feeling.
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“And I think, just with the certain weapons that they have, Deebo [Samuel], [Brandon] Aiyuk, George [Kittle], obviously Christian [McCaffrey], [Kyle Juszczyk)], Jauan Jennings.
Brock Purdy suffered a serious arm injury in the NFC championship game. (Seth Wenig/AP/REX/Shutterstock)"There’s so many guys. You can go on and on. But they’ve been there for so long, and Kyle (Shanahan) has been able to understand what everyone does well [and] what they don’t do well.
"And I feel like every game plan, he uses and gets the most out of his guys, and that’s a very good feeling as a quarterback, knowing that the coordinator is going to put everyone in the best position possible.”
Darnold has a huge opportunity to stake a claim for the starting role at the 49ers, with Garappolo leaving for the Las Vegas Raiders and Purdy yet to be signed off after undergoing arm surgery.
Darnold has established himself as second on the depth chart ahead of 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance and he may get the chance to start the season as the Niners' signal-caller, depending on the rate of Purdy's recovery.
Shanahan sees huge potential in Darnold, despite a rocky start to his career. “I truly see Sam talent-wise as a top pick in the draft, just like he was," he told The Athletic in May. "You watch his whole career and there’s no reason to think differently. He hasn’t been in the best situations, so we’re glad to have him here."
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