Is Sam Darnold The 49ers' Starting QB In 2023? Fantasy Football Outlook

There has been a bad omen hovering above the San Francisco 49ers' quarterbacks lately. In 2019, Jimmy Garoppolo started all 16 regular season games for the squad before going to Super Bowl LIV. Since then, no one has achieved the same feat. Garoppolo struggled to stay healthy, allowing Nick Mullens, C.J. Beathard, and Trey Lance to make some starts.

Even Lance is still questionable after a season-ending injury in Week 2 last season. Brock Purdy took over and got injured in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. With much uncertainty at the position, the 49ers signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal worth up to $11.5 million. It's a homecoming for him because he played high school football in San Clemente, California, and college football at USC.

Darnold will be joining his third team in six NFL seasons, indicating that he hasn't lived up to the hype that made him the third overall pick in the 2018 draft. He struggled with the New York Jets and lost the Carolina Panthers starting role to Cam Newton and P.J. Walker in 2021. He did have an excellent five-game stretch in 2022, with 1,100 passing yards, nine total touchdowns, and one interception, however.

Better Than Nothing

Realistically speaking, the 49ers need someone to help the team go through the motions once offseason workouts start. Both Lance and Purdy are on their way to recovery after their respective surgeries. Therefore, they may not be back to full health once the grind starts again.

Lance may get clearance to participate in offseason activity and will take snaps with the first team. However, his movement will remain restricted, and Darnold can help ease the burden. Meanwhile, Purdy may return in time for the regular season and will be the favorite to be the starter after his brilliant eight-game streak wherein he threw 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

The best-case scenario is that Lance and Purdy will establish solid claims to start for the 49ers. But if injuries continue to plague them, Darnold will have an opportunity to reboot his career and have his best season as a pro. It would be difficult to see him fail given that Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle are around him.

There's no excuse for him to become the same play-caller he was with the Jets and Panthers. He will also have vindication once he has proven his doubters wrong. While it's not good to hope the worst for others, the big break he yearns for will only come if Purdy or Lance cannot perform physically. Maybe the incentives tied to his contract will motivate him to beat both quarterbacks. But for now, he is there because he fills a need.

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