Sam Darnold's time in San Francisco should give him a head start on the Vikings' QB competition
Sam Darnold hasn't had the prototypical career that should come with getting drafted with the third overall pick in the NFL Draft, but he's managed to keep his head above water over the years and it's put him in a good spot with the Minnesota Vikings.Darnold has a good chance to be the Vikings' starting […]
Sam Darnold hasn't had the prototypical career that should come with getting drafted with the third overall pick in the NFL Draft, but he's managed to keep his head above water over the years and it's put him in a good spot with the Minnesota Vikings.
Darnold has a good chance to be the Vikings' starting quarterback when Week 1 of the 2024 season rolls around. He'll be challenged mostly by rookie J.J. McCarthy, and while the odds are currently in his favor based off his experience and contract, nothing is guaranteed..
Part of Darnold's experience, mainly his experience in San Francisco last year, gives him a bit of an edge over McCarthy. Kyle Shanahan's offense is West Coast-based, like Kevin O'Connell's, and it runs similar concepts. So, Darnold is learning a new offense, but it's more learning the verbiage and getting the chemistry down, than anything.
"I think, you know, [with] West Coast [offenses], there are some similarities, obviously in concepts, but the verbiage is different than [49ers head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] uses and from what we use," Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips told reporters Tuesday.
"Just like any new player, even from college, [it's] kind of taking the terms that they're used to and crossing over and seeing what fits."
So, while Darnold will need to learn the verbiage, or at least figure out what he can carry over and then learn, he'll still be familiar with some or most of the timing of certain plays and the reads/progressions built within. He'll know when to expect the in-breaking route and when to pull the trigger during his drop. It won't be 100% of the. time, it may not even be 65% – but any kind of familiarity is a big help.
"If you've got experience with a concept, there's a familiarity to how you read it," said Phillips. "Your drops, whether we're throwing off-plant or throwing off a hitch and how you reset – you know, those types of things. There's familiarity there and then the other thing that you see with Sam is just the arm talent.
"That gets thrown around a lot, but he was the third pick in the draft for a reason and we've really seen it show up out here really, since day one, since we got on the grass."
It's to a lesser degree, but a reason why Baker Mayfield had the success he had in Tampa Bay last year is because the Bucs hired Dave Canales, who installed similar concepts in his offense to that of McVay's in LA, where Mayfield had short success. That allowed Mayfield to at least be initially aware of what was going, instead of starting completely from scratch.
"It's been great. A lot of similar formations, motions, all that stuff. But obviously, a little bit different verbiage, but yeah, being in San Francisco, being in that West Coast system, [it] definitely helped," said Darnold.
If Darnold can make a successful transition, win the starting job, and have a solid year, then he will certainly find a chance with a new team, next year, as its starter. The momentum has been building that way since 2022 and, now, he has a chance to get his career back on track.
And, if Darnold has a solid year, it's very likely the Vikings are winning games. McCarthy also would sit and learn for a season, which would only bode well for his development.
In other words: it would be an all-around win for all parties involved. Either way, the path has been cleared for Darnold to be the guy in 2024 – it's just a matter of whether or not he makes it happen.
