Sam Darnold (left) and Brock Purdy, quarterbacks for the 49ers
Even though there was just one game, it seemed to be worth $10 million. It was anticipated when quarterback Sam Darnold was signed by the 49ers a year ago that he would have to start a few games in the early going as Brock Purdy recovered from elbow surgery. He served as a consoling safety net.
However, Purdy had fully recovered by the end of training camp and made his 49ers debut in all 16 games.
Darnold did not play as a starter until the season finale, when he was put in a pointless game against the Rams. He played with great intensity early in the game as the 49ers took a 20–7 lead. However, when San Francisco rested its best players for the second half, the game fell apart and the 49ers lost 21–20. With a 96.5 quarterback rating after completing 16 of 26 throws for 189 yards and a rushing touchdown, Darnold
The Minnesota Vikings, who are desperate for a quarterback after losing out to Atlanta for Kirk Cousins during Monday’s free-agent frenzy, were intrigued by that enough.
The Vikings will sign Darnold, according to an overnight report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network: A new quarterback in Minnesota: Sam Darnold of the 49ers is expected to sign with the Vikings, according to @TomPelissero and myself. According to sources, Darnold signs a one-year, $10 million contract to play quarterback alongside Minnesota’s new QB coach Josh McCown. Darnold replaces Kirk Cousins.
Sam Darnold Might Be Given the Opening Role
Despite being the third overall choice by New York in the 2018 draft, Darnold’s career never really took off because of the struggling Jets offense.
His first three seasons were spent in New York, where he started and had a 13–25 record while playing for a completely dysfunctional squad. The following two years, in 2021 and 2022, he made improvements with Carolina and started for the team, going 8–9. Two seasons ago, Carolina finished 4-2 with Darnold starting and had a 92.6 quarterback rating.
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But the Panthers let him go, and with youngster Bryce Young leading the way, they collapsed to 2-15 in the previous campaign.
Darnold’s quarterback rating over his career is 78.3. In the NFL, he has thrown 56 interceptions and 63 touchdowns. When CBS Sports ranked the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL on the eve of the season in September, Darnold was ranked third.
Nevertheless, Darnold is still focused on being an NFL starter at the age of 26. This ought to be his opportunity.
49ers Brandon Allen Is Down on Brock Purdy Insurance
It will be intriguing to watch what transpires with the 49ers quarterback room behind Brock Purdy going forward with Darnold out of the picture. After sitting on the 49ers bench for the previous two years, third-stringer Brandon Allen was given a new one-year contract by the organization this offseason. Although there is some danger for the team in having Allen as the backup quarterback in the event that Purdy is hurt, Allen may very well be the 49ers’ number-two quarterback.
Although Allen is only 31 years old and has only made nine NFL starts, the 49ers still have some faith in him. In six starts, he has a record of 2–7, and he hasn’t started a game since January 2022, when he was Joe Burrow’s backup in Cincinnati. With a 78.0 passer rating, Allen has completed 10 touchdown passes and six interceptions.
Maintaining a reasonably priced backup quarterback is one method the 49ers are trying to save as much salary cap space as they can. They might also look in the middle rounds of the draft for a young quarterback.
If they wanted extra insurance, they could also wait for the free-agent market to open up and get a veteran at a discounted rate. Regardless, Purdy’s depth is being negatively impacted by the loss of Darnold.
