Sam Darnold played 29 snaps in the San Francisco 49ers' exciting 21-20 preseason win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday. Pro Football Focus graded him as the Niners' fourth-best offensive player, one spot behind third-year quarterback Trey Lance.
Darnold finished 11-of-14 for 109 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. While his 73.5 Pro Football Focus grade was won par with the one he earned a week earlier (73.7) against the Las Vegas Raiders, the veteran quarterback believes things are trending upward.
"Yeah, we saw some improvements, a little bit, but we just have to continue to get better," Darnold said after the game. "I don't think we're at necessarily where we want to be by the time the season starts. We just have to keep practicing and getting better."
Darnold joined the 49ers as a free agent in March, a move that was a complete surprise to many. Some wondered what the team told him to convince him to sign. San Francisco's starter, Brock Purdy, had just undergone surgery on his throwing arm. At the time, his status for the regular season was unknown. Trey Lance, the team's former No. 3 overall pick, still lacked experience heading into his third season and was coming off a season-ending ankle injury.
Did the 49ers' pitch to Darnold hint that the quarterback might be in line to be the starter in 2023? It turns out the team was as honest as it could be with the former New York Jet and Carolina Panther. There was a chance at the QB1 job, but nothing was guaranteed.
"We were able to be honest with Sam, but it all came down to Sam wanting that role," head coach Kyle Shanahan told Peter King of NBC Sports last week. "Sam still could've gone other places for a lot more money. For him to come here—a huge leap of faith. He had no idea if he was coming for the one, two, or three job."
King seems to believe that Darnold is currently holding onto the QB2 job, with Lance, last year's Week 1 starter, falling to QB3 on the depth chart. If that's true, Lance's late-game heroics against the Broncos may have helped his case to move up.
"I feel like every time I step on the field, I learn so much," Lance said after the game. "I get so much better from every rep, whether it's practice, games, or whatever. Just seeing as many pictures as I can and continuing to get as many reps as I can with these guys."
Whatever happens, the 49ers believe they have a fantastic quarterback room considering where they were just six months ago. Purdy and Lance are both healthy. They have insurance in Darnold.
Said Shanahan: "Honestly, I never thought we'd be sitting here with three really good guys ready to go right now. It's amazing what we've been through, really."