Sam Darnold can be the 49ers' greatest surprise in 2023
ESPN’s Louis Riddick details that Sam Darnold can be the best quarterback surprise of the season.
Amidst the uncertainty of the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback situation, Sam Darnold may be the signal caller that rises to the surface.
The Niners' quarterback depth chart sits in uncharted territory with Brock Purdy still on the mend from injury and Trey Lance not proven as a long-time starter. However, recently, ESPN's Louis Riddick was told by a trusted QB evaluator the 49ers faithful should keep an eye on Darnold to emerge as a legitimate threat to be the starter out of all the quarterbacks on the Nienrs' roster.
"We don’t quite know what Brock is going to look like coming off of injury heading into training camp. We don’t quite know what’s even going on with Trey Lance," Riddick said Tuesday on "The Rich Eisen Show." "I’ll tell you what, I had someone tell me this just recently. They believe that Sam Darnold, in that match with [49ers coach] Kyle Shanahan and out there in San Francisco, that could finally be the spot that totally makes him become the out-of-nowhere surprise of the year.
"I had someone who I trust explicitly when it comes to quarterback play [tell me that]. I’m telling you, I said to him, I was like, ‘What?!’ They’re like, ‘Just trust me on this one.’"
This is just the latest of the Darnold truther campaign. Within the Shanahan system and the talent on the roster, Darnold may have an opportunity to validate much of his early talent projections. Additionally, Shanahan already detailed how much he believes in Darnold. The coach lauded Darnold's arm talent last Wednesday during the Dwight Clark Legacy event in San Jose.
"There are only a few people on this planet who can throw at the level that you need to throw at to succeed in this league,” Shanahan said. “Sam is one of those guys who can throw like that. That’s why Jimmy [Garoppolo] was a second-round draft pick coming from Eastern Illinois because he was such a gifted thrower. And then it’s how do you play after that.”
Darnold was an early draft selection for a reason. The Niners are the first team that has legitimate talent around it to maximize any quarterbacks skill — Darnold included.
Whether Darnold actually takes a step forward is to be determined. But it is encouraging to hear Reddick's quarterback whisperer singing the recent 49ers free agent signing's praises.
