Seattle Seahawks star quarterback Sam Darnold frequently opens up about how playing with the 49ers under coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system changed the trajectory of his career.
The Super Bowl LX champion recently emphasized how much knowledge he gained from his stint in San Francisco during the 2023 NFL season, giving credit to both the coaching staff and the teammates he had the opportunity to work with.
“I feel like I got my Ph.D. in football when I went to San Francisco,” Darnold said on FanDuel’s “Bussin’ with the Boys” show. “That was such a blessing for me, just being able to learn from Kyle, [former 49ers quarterbacks coach] Brian Griese, the Kubiaks – Klay and Klint. It was such a great coaching staff.
“And then to be able to not only learn from Brock [Purdy]. I’ve talked about learning from Brock quite a bit, but like all the great players who are over there, [such as] George Kittle, Fred Warner, Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams, of course. You just have all these studs that are over there, and to learn some of their habits and the stuff that they do in the offseason, how they get better, it was just such a great opportunity for me to just go there and be a sponge.”
Prior to signing with the 49ers in 2023 to serve as Purdy’s primary backup, Darnold spent his first three seasons with the New York Jets, then the following two years with the Carolina Panthers. In his first five seasons, Darnold started in 55 games and recorded 61 touchdowns and 55 interceptions, with a QB rating of 78.2.
In 2024, Darnold signed with the Minnesota Vikings, where he led the team to a 14-3 regular-season record, throwing 35 touchdowns to only 12 interceptions with a 102.5 passer rating.
The following year, the two-time Pro Bowl selection signed a lucrative multi-year contract with the Seahawks in NFL free agency and led Seattle to its second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
With all the success Darnold has achieved since 2023, it remains evident that his time with the 49ers helped revive his career from a mid-tier NFL quarterback to a very respectable signal-caller.
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