The San Francisco 49ers recently added veteran quarterback Sam Darnold as an extra option for their young QB room heading into the 2023 season.
While Darnold is coming off a shaky season with Carolina Panthers in 2022, head coach Kyle Shanahan is still confident that the former No. 3 overall pick has enough talent to quarterback an NFL team.
“[Darnold] has as good of a skillset as there is,” Shanahan said.
“That’s why he went as the third pick in the draft,” Shanahan added at Annual League Meetings in Arizona, via ProFootballTalk. “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 10 guys around you, too.
“And I think Sam has played and done some really good things in this league, but 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.”
Darnold was selected by the New York Jets with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Since then, he’s failed to meet expectations as a reliable starter in the league.
Through six starts with the Panthers in 2022, the 25-year-old quarterback logged 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions — marking his first positive TD/INT ratio since 2019.
The Niners have uncertainty surrounding young QBs Brock Purdy and Trey Lance as they both recover from injuries, meaning Darnold could be called into action earlier in the 2023 season.
“I’m excited to get to know him as a person because I’ve always liked him as an athlete, I’ve always liked him as a prospect,” Shanahan added. “I like how he throws. I like his athletic ability. Now, we’re excited to get him with us, get to work, and see how he plays in our offense.”