49ers Rumors: Teams Feel Sam Darnold Contract 'Sneaky Significant'; Could Open as QB1

While the battle for the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback job is widely viewed as a two-man race between Trey Lance and Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold might be flying under the radar.

"I've talked to multiple teams who believe that that Darnold signing is sneaky significant," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter. "That this is a guy who could start for them Week 1, play meaningful snaps. They believe he's a great fit in Kyle Shanahan's offense. So if Trey Lance is going to play, he's going to have to earn it against Darnold."

Purdy is recovering from elbow surgery, so his availability for the start of the 2023 season remains in flux.

You'd think Lance is the clear favorite to run the offense in the event Purdy is unavailable. Sooner or later, the Niners have to see what they have in a player they traded multiple first-round picks to draft No. 3 overall in 2021.

But from the moment San Francisco signed Darnold, some began projecting him as Shanahan's next success story.

Given how much he needs to prove himself, you wouldn't have expected the 25-year-old to join San Francisco if he didn't think he'd have some path to the starting job either. Spending another year on the bench puts him firmly on a career backup trajectory, and maybe he's there already.

On almost any other team, Darnold's arrival would've registered minimal reaction. His performance through five seasons speaks for itself. He has averaged 210.1 yards per game and thrown for 61 touchdowns to 55 interceptions.

But if Shanahan can make Purdy look like the second coming of Joe Montana, then fans can't totally write off Darnold enjoying a career renaissance in the Bay Area.