The San Francisco 49ers will play against Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in Week 18. Darnold is a familiar face to the 49ers, as he spent the 2023 season with them. That time in San Francisco helped him restart his career after struggling with the New York Jets.
After leaving the 49ers, Darnold joined the Minnesota Vikings and proved he could be a starting NFL quarterback. In 2024, he played 17 games for Minnesota and put up impressive numbers. He threw for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. His passer rating was 102.5, and he earned his first Pro Bowl selection.
Darnold’s strong 2024 season helped him sign a long-term contract with the Seahawks. According to Heavy.com, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan talked about Darnold ahead of the Week 18 clash and compared him to Mac Jones, San Francisco’s current backup quarterback.
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Shanahan saw special talent in Darnold from the start
“Sam was the third pick in the draft,” Shanahan said. “From a talent standpoint, you could always see that we got him, and you could see exactly why he was that. I mean, he was one of the more talented guys I’ve been around. From a guy’s standpoint, he was unbelievable in the room.”
He also thinks Darnold’s situation was similar to Jones. Both quarterbacks had been through tough times with multiple teams and systems.
“It was cool when he got here, similar to Mac. They had been through a lot. And anytime you go through a number of systems, a number of teams, you can get watered down a little bit in what people are asking you to do, what you like doing. Eventually, you have to do too much stuff.”
While NFL coaches face various challenges, including handling serious off-field player incidents, Shanahan focused on developing his quarterbacks. When players move around too much, they can lose focus on what they do best because they try to do too many different things.
What impressed Shanahan most was Darnold’s attitude when he arrived in San Francisco. Darnold came in with an open mind and was willing to try new things the coaches asked of him. Even when he struggled with new techniques at first, he did not let it bother him.
Shanahan compared this to how Jones has approached things with the 49ers. Both were willing to work on different footwork and techniques. Watching someone talented enough to succeed be so open to coaching was special to Shanahan.
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The coach also thought sitting out for a year helped Darnold. He got to watch Brock Purdy play and learn what made him successful. Darnold then turned those lessons into his own playing style, which Shanahan said he has done really well.
Published: Jan 2, 2026 02:00 pm