Though it probably won’t become relevant to the Pittsburgh Steelers come Sept. 10, all it takes is for one snap for it to become the main topic of conversation. The last time the San Francisco 49ers played a meaningful game, starter Brock Purdy suffered a severe elbow injury. He was replaced by veteran journeyman Josh Johnson, who also got hurt and destroyed any chance the 49ers had of going to the Super Bowl.
This year, if Purdy is injured in the Week One opener against Pittsburgh, it’ll be Sam Darnold coming in to replace him. Darnold has reportedly been named the team’s No. 2 behind Purdy and ahead of former first-round pick Trey Lance. That comes from the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
Darnold signed a one-year deal with the 49ers this March after spending the 2022 season with the Carolina Panthers. A former first-round pick of the New York Jets, Darnold returned to his home state of California after inking a deal with San Francisco. He never panned out with New York, going 13-25 as a starter from 2018 to 2020 and barely throwing more touchdowns (45) than interceptions (39).
In April 2021, the Jets traded him to the Carolina Panthers for draft picks. In two years with the Panthers, Darnold started 17 games and showed improvement, though his numbers were still meager. He completed under 60 percent of his passes and had a 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio. Darnold started for the Panthers against the Steelers last season, throwing for 225 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions in a 24-16 loss to Pittsburgh. He was sacked four times.
Darnold will serve as veteran insurance behind Purdy, who has rehabbed his elbow surgery throughout the offseason and is poised to play Week One against the Steelers. Purdy made his 2023 debut this past weekend, going 4-of-5 for 65 passing yards.
Lance, the third overall pick of the 2021 draft, which San Francisco traded up to get, will shift to the team’s third-stringer. His name has been rumored to be on the trade block but interest in him has reportedly been minimal. As the report notes, the team is “exploring options” with Lance but it’s unclear if it will find a trade partner.
