Kyle Shanahan praises Sam Darnold ahead of QB competition in San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers have already made it clear that Brock Purdy is leading the race to be QB1. Trey Lance will most likely be his backup, and there’s a chance he winds up winning the job back at some point.

But the Niners know a thing or two about injuries in the game’s most crucial position, so they signed Sam Darnold. Truth be told, they could do a lot worse when it comes to an insurance policy.

Darnold is just 25 years old and comes with plenty of NFL experience. His days with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers weren’t impressive, but HC Kyle Shanahan thinks he was never put in a position to succeed.

Kyle Shanahan Explains Why The Niners Signed Sam Darnold:

“Sam has as good of a skill set as there is,” Shanahan told NBC Sports. “That’s why he went as the third pick in the draft, and when you study his play you can see it too. I don’t think he’s always been in the best situations, which is tough for a quarterback. It’s tough for all players, but it’s one position, and there’s another 10 players around you too.”

“I think Sam has played and done some really good things in this league,” continued Shanahan. “He hasn’t won a ton of games, and has been thrown into some situations where you’re going to keep both teams in the game because you got to keep slinging that ball to give your team a chance to win.”

“I’m excited to get to know him as a person,” Shanahan concluded. “I’ve always liked him as an athlete and I’ve always liked him as a prospect. I like how he throws, I like his athletic ability. We’re excited to get him with us, get to work, and see how he plays in our offense.”

Darnold will handle first-team reps while Lance and Purdy are ready to come back. So, while little, he still has an opporunity to prove that he’s not done yet and who knows? Maybe even become their starter.