49ers Rumors: Sam Darnold Signs 1-Year Contract After Jimmy Garoppolo Joins Raiders

After spending the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, quarterback Sam Darnold has found a new home.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 25-year-old has agreed to a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday. This marks the third NFL team for the former No. 3 overall pick, who was drafted by the New York Jets in 2018.

The move comes after the 49ers lost veteran free-agent signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Darnold is coming off a 2022 campaign that started horribly but ended with some promise.

He lost a preseason quarterback competition to Baker Mayfield, his draft classmate who was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. Darnold then suffered an ankle injury in Carolina's third preseason game, which forced him to be placed on injured reserve.

However, Mayfield failed to make an impact, and he was eventually released before being claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams.

Darnold was named the starter for the Panthers' Week 12 matchup and held that spot for the final six games of the season, leading the team to a 4-2 record to finish 7-10.

In his six appearances, the USC product threw for 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions, which was good for a career-best 92.6 quarterback rating. But he still struggled with his accuracy and completed just 58.6 percent of his passes, the fourth time in his five-year career falling under 60 percent.

By signing Darnold, San Francisco is taking a chance that his best days are ahead of him. He will provide some stability to the quarterback position while the 49ers await the recoveries of Trey Lance (ankle) and Brock Purdy (elbow).