Sam Darnold had a much-needed reset last season after his NFL career had not met the high expectations placed on him when he was drafted third overall from a well-regarded college program.
During that season with the San Francisco 49ers, he was a backup, which allowed him to learn more about the league, his position, and himself without the pressure of starting.
The Minnesota Vikings saw immediate benefits from this new version of Darnold, as he delivered a strong performance in their season opener.
Now, Darnold hopes to apply what he learned against the 49ers this week. His first game at home with the Vikings will be on Sunday afternoon, facing his former team.
“I learned so much last year,” Darnold said. “Just being able to learn every single game plan and study throughout the week, I think that was the biggest takeaway that I had, with all the different things that we had to know as quarterbacks going into a game.”
After starting 13 games and losing 25 with the New York Jets in his first three NFL seasons, Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021. There, he faced more instability, leading to additional injuries and interceptions.
Last year, he paused his desire to start and joined the successful 49ers team under coach Kyle Shanahan, supporting Brock Purdy on their way to the Super Bowl.
“He helped me tremendously with my prep and we all bounced ideas off each other and what we could get and what we need to be aware of,” Purdy said. “Sam contributed so much to our success as a team, man.”
Darnold also came to understand the pressure, both real and imagined, he felt when he first joined the league in 2018 from USC.
