Brady Henderson
RENTON, Wash. — The play unfolded exactly how Sam Darnold, Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers drew it up.
It was halfway by the fourth quarter of their two-touchdown loss on Christmas night time in 2023.
To that time, the sport had been dominated by the Baltimore Ravens' top-ranked protection, coordinated by future Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald.
Down 33-12, Darnold took over for a banged-up Brock Purdy and received the 49ers all the way down to Baltimore's 12. That is the place Shanahan noticed a possibility for the backup quarterback to use a sure defensive look they'd ready for extensively.
Based mostly on Roquan Smith's pre-snap alignment and the kind of zone protection it urged, Darnold would be capable to hit receiver Ronnie Bell on a slant route between the Baltimore linebacker and the security who was taking part in excessive. Darnold took the shotgun snap, hit his again foot and threw over Smith's head to a leaping Bell for a landing.
“It was precisely how we talked about it in observe,” Darnold stated. “Precisely how we repped it.”
Twenty months later, the Seahawks' new quarterback cited that play and one that may instantly observe as moments the place he may inform that every part he was studying throughout his career-altering season with the 49ers was beginning to click on.
Nonetheless going through Ravens starters on the following possession, he hit WR Brandon Aiyuk for twenty-four yards, placing the ball on the cash regardless of not having time to set his toes with an unblocked blitzer in his face. Darnold would take the 49ers all the way down to Baltimore's 1, threatening to show a blowout right into a nail-biter earlier than his desperation throw on fourth down was intercepted.
San Francisco's comeback bid was over — however Darnold's private comeback was underway.
The third total decide in 2018, Darnold had did not cement his place because the starter with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers earlier than touchdown in San Francisco for a backup stint that may assist kick-start his turnaround. His aid look on Christmas night time affirmed what he'd been sensing whereas soaking in information from Shanahan and the 49ers' offensive workers, and whereas watching the best way Purdy prudently executed their scheme: Darnold was beginning to put his expertise collectively.
“That was like, ‘OK, I can try this,” Darnold stated in an interview with ESPN. “I can lead this workforce if I wanted to.”
After his reset season in San Francisco, Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million take care of the Minnesota Vikings in March 2024 with no assurance he'd be their starter. However when rookie J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee harm in preseason, Darnold stepped up, delivering a Professional Bowl season that noticed him throw for 4,319 yards and 35 landing passes, lead 5 game-winning drives and generate some MVP buzz earlier than faltering within the last two video games.
“He received the keys to the workforce, and to be in that scenario additionally when he had a great, upcoming workforce that had loads of expertise, that had a great teaching workers and it was type of the right time for him and he was so prepared for it,” Shanahan stated in an interview with ESPN. “That is why I believed he had one of many higher years within the league final yr.”
With the Vikings turning again to McCarthy, Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million take care of the Seahawks, who had recognized him as their most popular alternative for Geno Smith. Darnold's quest to show that his resurgence in Minnesota wasn't only a one-year marvel begins Sunday, once they open their season towards the 49ers at Lumen Subject (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox).
However among the many causes the Seahawks imagine Darnold's profession has been circled for good is as a result of his 2024 breakthrough was hardly an in a single day growth. It was set in movement throughout the seminal season he spent with Shanahan and Purdy in San Francisco.
“If you're that good of a quarterback, you not often get an opportunity to simply sit and soak issues in,” Shanahan stated. “And once you do, you type of get extra pissed off since you simply wish to be on the market competing. And I do know it was onerous for him to do it, however he did it the correct manner and I feel he simply was a lot extra ready for his subsequent alternative. And I believed that confirmed in Minnesota.”
THE DARNOLD-LED JETS had been down 21-0 within the second quarter of their 2020 season opener on the Payments when he gave in to his young-quarterback whims. With the pocket collapsing, he escaped to his left, operating straight towards the sideline together with his eyes downfield. As he approached the numbers, he twisted his higher physique and unleashed a heave again towards the hashmarks, each toes off the bottom because the ball left his hand.
Predictably, it was picked.
The interception typified the type of mistake Darnold would make in his Jets and Panthers days whereas, as he noticed it, urgent to beat an early deficit or an offensive rut. He discovered rapidly that performs he'd made in highschool and at USC had been tougher to tug off within the execs.
“I felt like I may try this relaxed, and also you get to this stage and it is not that straightforward,” Darnold stated. “That is the place type of the troubles got here a bit bit early in my profession … simply considering I may run round and make performs if one thing wasn't there.”
Darnold threw 39 interceptions (to 45 landing passes) in 83 video games over his first three seasons with the Jets, who went 35-38 in his begins earlier than they traded him to Carolina in 2021. He threw 16 picks (with 16 TDs) in 18 video games with the Panthers, going 8-9 as a starter.
“Sam's such a proficient man and that is why he was going to get thrown into the fireplace straight away,” Shanahan stated. “He was by no means actually on a workforce able to win. And when that occurs, you begin to create dangerous habits … you begin forcing issues, you begin making stuff up. And when you might have a man who has the power of Sam, that stuff's going to occur.
Darnold had hardly arrived in San Francisco as an entire reclamation mission. After a forgettable debut season in Carolina that included a five-game stint on injured reserve, he reclaimed the beginning job he had misplaced to Baker Mayfield over the summer time, taking on a 3-8 workforce in November and going 4-2 in his six begins.
However there have been dangerous habits to ditch and fundamentals to get again to. When 49ers quarterbacks coach Brian Griese talked with Darnold as he was weighing his choices within the spring of 2023, that was a part of the plan Griese laid out.
“I used to be in a position to speak with him about coming to San Francisco as a possibility to essentially get again to fundamentals and get the muse again below his recreation,” Griese advised ESPN, “beginning together with his footwork and his reads and progressions and the way we learn defenses … actually simply see if we may construct him again and see how good of a quarterback he could possibly be.
“That was solely going to work if he got here in and he was humble and confirmed humility, as a result of Brock was our man.”
Purdy was working his manner again from a torn elbow ligament he had suffered within the NFC Championship Recreation loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and with no assure he'd be prepared by September, Darnold had one more reason to see San Francisco as a great match. There was the chance to be taught below Shanahan and his workers, which included present Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak (then the 49ers' passing recreation coordinator) in addition to Griese. There may also be a possibility to play, albeit as a placeholder.
Darnold joined the 49ers on a one-year, $4.5 million deal. However with Purdy making it again by Week 1, Darnold's solely begin got here within the regular-season finale (16-of-26, 189 yards, two whole TDs, one misplaced fumble) towards the Los Angeles Rams, when San Francisco rested a number of starters having already secured the NFC's No. 1 seed.
For Darnold, sitting again and watching for many of that season proved helpful in its personal manner.
“I used to be in a position to collect a lot details about simply what it took to play quarterback in that system,” he stated. “…All through the entire expertise, there's so many issues I discovered, however I feel that was the most important takeaway for me was how a lot I used to be learning off the sector to have the ability to put together myself to go in and play if I wanted to on Sundays.”
Darnold declined to debate how San Francisco's teaching differed from what he'd gotten in his earlier two NFL stops, however the best way he described its revelatory affect lent credence to a perception held contained in the Seahawks group about how his early-career struggles and his renaissance in San Francisco and Minnesota owed a lot to what — and the way — he was being taught.
Darnold and the opposite 49ers quarterbacks would watch movie of each observe with Shanahan, studying from one of many recreation's brightest offensive minds.
“We might speak about reads, however he would speak about defenses,” Darnold stated. “… It was anticipating the place we had been going within the development based mostly on the protection. And once we began speaking about progressions and scheme like that, that was actually eye-opening for me.”
As was his up-close have a look at how Purdy performed.
Regardless of not having prototypical dimension or a golden arm, Purdy has gone from the final decide within the draft to the proprietor of a brand new $265 million contract in three seasons, with a Professional Bowl nod and a Tremendous Bowl look in between. He is gotten there by shopping for into Shanahan's system and working like a degree guard who will get the ball within the fingers of his playmakers, eschewing the careless impulses that used to get the perfect of Darnold.
“Do not get me flawed, Brock could make some performs now — off-schedule, scrambling round, operating for touchdowns, with the ability to throw touchdowns on the run, all that stuff,” Darnold stated. “However he was simply persistently, it doesn't matter what the scenario was, he was going by [his] progressions, if it is not there, test the ball down. He was doing that each single play …
“To have the ability to be taught from him … and the best way that he performed was eye-opening for me.”
Griese noticed all of it come collectively when Darnold relieved Purdy on Christmas night time.
“It was actually good to see him be capable to marry every part that he had discovered and the muse that he had constructed with the apparent arm expertise and the power to maneuver round,” Griese stated, “and for all that to come back collectively and for the sunshine bulb to type of go on for him that each one his time vitality and energy was paying off.”
That gentle bulb would burn brighter the next season in Minnesota with coach Kevin O'Connell and a powerful group of offensive expertise.
The remade Darnold noticed his touchdown-to-interception ratio enhance from 1.04 (fortieth in NFL) over his first 4 seasons to 2.92 (tenth) in 2024. His completion share in that very same span went from 59.8% (thirty eighth) to 66.2% (sixteenth). His QBR went from 40.9 (thirty seventh) to 57.3 (14th).
Certainly one of Darnold's 5 game-winning drives got here towards Seattle in December amid Minnesota's 14-2 begin. However Darnold and the offense collapsed over the ultimate two video games. Even then, he would have performed his manner into the Vikings' long-term plans had they not been dedicated to McCarthy, whom they'd traded as much as take tenth total.
At Darnold's introductory information convention in Seattle in March, Kubiak cited his resurgence for example of how proficient quarterbacks are generally written off too rapidly.
“Some guys are mentally robust sufficient to come back again and combat by it and I am sitting subsequent to one among them,” Kubiak stated. “… It is actually spectacular to be that type of a fighter and to remain within the combat and once you get your probability once more, be prepared. Sam was prepared, and Sam earned this job right here.”
“LISTEN TO YOUR toes.”
The phrase has been printed onto Seahawks team-issued shirts and hats, and Darnold hears it so usually that it could be ringing in his ears. A part of the vernacular of coaches who run Shanahan's system, Kubiak has introduced it with him from San Francisco to Seattle because the Seahawks' new coordinator.
To “take heed to your toes” as you undergo your progressions is to allow them to let you know when it is time to throw or bail.
“They may also help you inform whether or not any person's open within the timing of the play or not,” Griese stated. “So that you would possibly plan to throw one route and your first hitch will go to the following route, second hitch will go to a checkdown, and you actually haven't got greater than two hitches within the NFL. So after that, actually, the ball's gotta go — otherwise you gotta go.”
Therein lies one of many keys as to whether Darnold can achieve Seattle. He'll should play on time, one thing he struggled to persistently do early in his profession and over the Vikings' last two video games of final season. That is when Darnold's holding onto the ball mixed with declining offensive line play led to a collapse that included a nine-sack nightmare of their playoff loss to the Rams.
However Darnold has been listening to his toes.
“He is getting the ball out quick, he is correct, he is making quick selections,” Macdonald stated halfway by coaching camp. “Operationally, we're nonetheless working by a pair issues, however I used to be simply telling him yesterday, it is a ache within the butt to stress him as a result of the ball's out and it is onerous to get to him.”
Gamers on each side of the ball have famous the identical.
“As a receiver, I like that,” stated Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Darnold's high goal. “I might fairly the ball be midway there whereas I break. So yeah, he is doing an important job with that, and I feel it actually knifes the protection and simply will get them off stability.”
Darnold would not should reclaim a spot within the MVP dialog in 2025, however he cannot afford to flop both. Like all Seahawks contracts, his contains no fully-guaranteed cash past the primary season, giving Seattle an out after 2025 if he had been to revert again to the Darnold of previous.
However there's been nothing to counsel that the brand new Darnold, cast throughout the reset season he spent in San Francisco that preceded his rebirth in Minnesota, is not right here to remain.
“He is all the time had the expertise,” Griese stated. “He is discovered to belief and I do know that the gamers and the coaches will run by a wall for him due to who he's as a teammate. So he is received every part he wants now to go and have success.”
