One NFL quarterback made a surprising choice in his career, opting to sign a $4.5 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers despite larger offers in free agency. At the time, there was uncertainty surrounding Brock Purdy, who had undergone offseason surgery on his throwing arm.
Purdy was ultimately ready for Week 1 of the regular season, but the one-season stint with the 49ers proved invaluable for Sam Darnold. It helped him secure a one-year, $10 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. The former No. 3 overall pick believes his time in Santa Clara was well spent, learning from one of the most respected coaching staffs in the league and a young, up-and-coming quarterback in Purdy.
"I just learned so much in San Francisco, not only from the coaches, but from the players," Darnold recently told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. "The way Brock prepared every single week was inspiring to me. We didn't leave one stone unturned throughout the week."
Darnold threw only 46 passes last season, completing 28 for 297 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Sixty-one of his 130 snaps came in a meaningless Week 18 contest against the Los Angeles Rams. Yet, throughout the year, Darnold's understanding of the quarterback position deepened as he watched Purdy throw for a single-season franchise record of 4,280 passing yards.
"If there ever was a question, there were so many people to go, Hey, we didn't necessarily talk about this, what happens in the pass protection if there's a blitz?," Darnold explained. "Then you add a couple words to the play-call to add a can or alert to it. There's an answer for every single coverage that we have on tape and every single play that we call."
Darnold's time with the Vikings may be short-lived, with rookie J.J. McCarthy competing for playing time and being seen as the team's potential quarterback of the future. However, after stints with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, Darnold believes the lessons he learned with the 49ers will be valuable for whatever the future holds.
"I think, obviously, going through what I did, it is what it is," Darnold reflected. "In some respects, it'll help me down the line. Not sure exactly when or how, but I know it will definitely help me at some point."