The 49ers on Monday appear to have answered their third QB question. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported former 1st-round pick Sam Darnold agreed to a one-year deal with San Francisco.
There are a ton of questions around the 49ers’ QB position and Darnold offers some potential answers to all of those questions.
He flashed some high upside during his tenure with the Jets and Panthers, but not enough that it’s outrageous to believe he’d be the third QB behind Brock Purdy and Trey Lance. However, he’s shown enough to warrant a look as the backup QB and potential starter depending on the availability of Purdy and Lance, especially early in the offseason and training camp when Purdy is still recovering from surgery on his right elbow.
Darnold will also provide some competition for Lance during the offseason program and in camp. Lance will get the QB1 opportunities with Purdy out, but the new veteran signal caller could push him more than a lesser free agent QB might have.
The Jets selected Darnold No. 3 overall in the 2018 draft. In five seasons he’s played in 56 games with 55 starts and completed 59.7 percent of his throws with 61 touchdowns and 55 interceptions.
New 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was the Panthers’ interim head coach last year when Darnold took over as Carolina’s starting QB. In that stretch of six starts he went 4-2 with a 58.6 percent completion rate, seven TDs, three INTs, and a career-best 8.2 yards per attempt.
