Sam Darnold finally found his place – as backup QB with key role in 49ers' Super Bowl run

HENDERSON, Nev. – Sam Darnold is still seeing ghosts in his first year as the backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers – the good kind, though.

With limited reps in practice behind Niners starter Brock Purdy, Darnold said he will end his days sitting in his apartment and then recite a play call, break the imaginary huddle and envision the field in front of him. He’ll send the first motion, then the second one – not uncommon in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

"If there’s a third motion, send that one as well," Darnold told USA TODAY Sports. "But no, it’s just going through the whole process and what I see and going through different coverages and just visualizing everything. That’s really the thing I’ve learned this year: go home, study, have my own process and don’t move on with the day until my process is done."

Darnold, the 2018 third overall pick by the New York Jets, had the first part of his career derailed by several factors largely beyond his control. He never completed a full season as the Jets' starter, his run plagued by injury and illness. During a brutal “Monday Night Football” performance against the New England Patriots in his second season, the microphone attached to his pads caught him saying he was “seeing ghosts” on the field. After the 2020 season, the Jets traded the USC product to the Carolina Panthers for a trio of draft picks. Injuries and organizational strife followed him there, too.

"He’d been in some unstable situations," 49ers quarterbacks coach Brian Griese said. "Any quarterback can get caught up in that. I think he was looking for stability."

Darnold said he had a process as a starter, which spanned 55 games over his first five NFL seasons prior to this one. The new routine of rehearsing inside of an empty abode is different, but Darnold has embraced it. Now he’s preparing for Super Bowl 58, where he is focused on supporting Purdy and sharpening the Niners’ defense to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs – and not the trials of the past.

"It’s amazing, just to experience this and the game and understanding what it takes to get here," Darnold said. "What it takes organizationally – from an offense – to be able to sustain success in the NFL. It’s really hard. But when you got a special group like this and guys who come to work every single day and work very, very hard to achieve their goals, it makes it a little bit easier."

Griese said Darnold had several suitors this offseason but that the 26-year-old chose San Francisco to learn the team’s style of offense.

"He invested in himself by coming here because he wanted to get more of a foundation underneath him so that he could get back to doing the things he knows he needs to do to be a consistent quarterback," Griese said.

Darnold’s explanation for why he picked the 49ers is not as involved: “I wanted to be on a good team that I knew was going to have a chance to compete for a championship.”

The way the Niners’ coaching staff teaches the offense is different than what Darnold has been exposed to in the past. Until Darnold linked up with Shanahan, the two head coaches the passer had played for in the NFL were Adam Gase and Matt Rhule (current Niners defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was the interim head coach to end the 2022 season in Carolina).

"He’s been a part of some offenses where at the line of scrimmage they try and get into the perfect play," Griese said. "That’s not how we operate. I think the structure that this offense provides is exactly what Sam needed.

"And no matter what happens with him going forward, he now has that as a foundation."

Darnold signed a one-year contract with the Niners and will be a free agent once again this offseason. He said he’ll consult with his agent in the weeks following the Super Bowl to determine his next steps.

With one of the best rosters in the league top to bottom, the Niners’ locker room is packed with players who have been contributors – or could be in different situations – slotted in backup roles.

"Sam’s one of those guys, but it doesn’t change the way he prepares," wide receiver Chris Conley told USA TODAY Sports. "It doesn’t change the way he helps other guys."

Darnold takes the field with Conley more than two hours before kickoff to make sure the receiver is warmed up.

"He has a really good heart for his teammates," Conley said. "He’s selfless."

Darnold and third-string quarterback Brandon Allen have been assets for Purdy throughout the season in intangible ways, Griese said, from the meeting room during the week to the sideline during games.

"They’re a calming presence, which is a really valuable asset for Brock in this moment," Griese said.

Said Darnold: "I love being able to create those new relationships with people and just meet different people from a lot of different backgrounds."

Will he have the chance again to do all of that as a starting quarterback in the NFL? Griese “absolutely” thinks so.

"He’s as talented as any quarterback I’ve ever been around," Griese said. "All he needs is a solid foundation, a supporting cast, and an opportunity."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sam Darnold is finally flourishing – as 49ers' backup QB in Super Bowl