A man who was written off by the league has completed his two-year redemption arc with a Super Bowl LX victory.

Sam Darnold threw for 202 yards and a touchdown against the New England Patriots. A team that had once given him trouble became the team he defeated to become a Super Bowl champion.

On October 21, 2019, his team, the New York Jets, took on the Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Darnold threw no touchdowns and four interceptions. After the game, Darnold admitted that the Patriots’ defense had him “seeing ghosts.”

In the 2021 offseason, the Jets decided to pull the plug on the Darnold experiment. He played for the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers as a backup quarterback. Darnold was on the 49ers team that reached the Super Bowl in 2023.

In the 2024 offseason, Darnold was signed by the Minnesota Vikings. He was once again expected to be in a backup role. However, J.J. McCarthy was injured during the preseason, forcing Darnold into the starting role.

Darnold went 14-3 with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He made his first career Pro Bowl appearance. His Vikings lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, where he threw one touchdown and one interception.

Darnold signed a three-year, $100 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 offseason. His teammate Justin Jefferson later said the Vikings would’ve been better with Darnold at QB this season. 

Darnold had five touchdowns and 0 interceptions during the playoffs this season. His best game was the conference championship against the Rams, where he threw three touchdowns and zero interceptions.  

Darnold’s contract was very back-loaded. His cap hit in 2025 was just $13 million. Meanwhile, in 2026, he will have a $37.9 million cap hit. The Seahawks are projected to have $73 million in cap space this offseason.

The Seattle Seahawks crushed the Washington Commanders 38-14 on Sunday night, led by a near-perfect performance from quarterback Sam Darnold. By halftime, Darnold had completed all 16 of his passes for four touchdowns. He was unaware that he had a flawless first half until someone mentioned it, which broke the no-hitter superstition of football.

He finished with 21-of-24 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Before he was pulled late in the fourth quarter, his total QBR of 97.8 or higher was the best of his eight-year NFL career. This was also his third game of the season with a QBR of 97 or higher, tying a record held by Tom Brady, Tony Romo and Lamar Jackson.

Coach Mike Macdonald praised Darnold’s sharp decision-making and consistency, and credited his execution and the offensive line’s protection. Despite missing a couple of his passes, Darnold threw touchdowns on Seattle’s first four drives – two were to rookie Tory Horton, one to tight end Elijah Arroyo, and another to veteran Cody White.

Wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his breakout season with 129 yards on eight catches, extending his NFL lead in receiving yards.

This victory improved Seattle’s record to 6-2 and a perfect 4-0 on the road. Darnold’s MVP odds jumped from 60-to-1 to 18-to-1 after the game, as the Seahawks remain one of the NFC’s most consistent teams.

The only downside was injuries to linebacker Ernest Jones IV, who suffered a knee injury, and cornerback Josh Jobe, who sustained a concussion; however, Jones’ injury is reportedly not season-ending.

The Seattle Seahawks entered a new era under head coach Mike Macdonald after parting ways with Pete Carroll in 2023, following 14 seasons. The team had an overall mediocre season, going 10-7 and missing the playoffs. Seattle struggled offensively due to inconsistent offensive line play and failed to beat the better teams on their schedule. Seattle’s most significant breakout came from wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had 1,130 yards and six touchdowns on the season.

>GET DEALS ON SEATTLE SEAHAWKS TICKETS NOW!

Seattle went into the offseason needing a change. Seattle started the offseason by trading away starting quarterback Geno Smith to the Raiders after he started in Seattle for the last three seasons. Without a starting quarterback, the Seahawks signed Sam Darnold from the Vikings to replace Smith after Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns in a breakout season for the Vikings. Seattle also made another huge move, trading away wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Steelers. Metcalf made two Pro Bowls while on the Seahawks and was a key part of their offense since being drafted in 2019.

The Seahawks also brought in wide receiver Cooper Kupp from the Rams to replace Metcalf and help boost their offense. The Seahawks offense will look completely different in 2025 compared to 2024, but will have lots of new, proven players as well. The Seahawks also signed defensive end Demarcus Lawrence and wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency. The Seahawks did, however, lose other players like wide receiver Tyler Lockett, safety Rayshawn Jenkins, linebacker Dre’Mont Jones and tackle George Fant.

The Seahawks entered the NFL draft with the 18th overall pick, where they selected offensive guard Grey Zabel out of North Dakota State. Zabel will make a massive addition to Seattle’s offensive line, which gave up 54 sacks last season. Some other notable names the Seahawks drafted were safety Nick Emmanwori, tight end Elijah Arroyo, quarterback Jalen Milroe and defensive tackle Rylie Mills.

The Seahawks will have a brand new offense heading into 2025 and will have the 22nd most challenging schedule in the NFL, according to Fox Sports. They open their season vs a division rival, the San Francisco 49ers. Their biggest games of the season will come against the Steelers, Buccaneers, Texans, Commanders, Rams and Vikings. Seattle will have to figure out their new offense quickly if they’re wanting to make it back to the playoffs after missing it last season.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS SCHEDULE & TICKET DEALS

• Week 1: Sept. 7 vs. San Francisco 49ers
• Week 2: Sept. 14 at Pittsburgh Steelers
• Week 3: Sept. 21 vs. New Orleans Saints
• Week 4: Sept. 25 at Arizona Cardinals (Thursday Night Football)
• Week 5: Oct. 5 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 6: Oct. 12 at Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 7: Oct. 20 vs. Houston Texans (Monday Night Football)
• Week 8: Bye Week
• Week 9: Nov. 2 at Washington Commanders (Sunday Night Football)
• Week 10: Nov. 9 vs. Arizona Cardinals
• Week 11: Nov. 16 at Los Angeles Rams
• Week 12: Nov. 23 at Tennessee Titans
• Week 13: Nov. 30 vs. Minnesota Vikings
• Week 14: Dec. 7 at Atlanta Falcons
• Week 15: Dec. 14 vs. Indianapolis Colts
• Week 16: Dec. 18 vs. Los Angeles Rams (Thursday Night Football)
• Week 17: Dec. 27 or 28 at Carolina Panthers
• Week 18: at San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks Season/Game Odds

The Seahawks open with +6000 odds of winning the Super Bowl and +2800 odds of winning the NFC championship according to DraftKings. They also start the season as +1.5 underdogs at home vs the 49ers in a huge divisional game. 

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Heading into the offseason, it was widely reported that minority owner and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady would have input into the Las Vegas Raiders’ offseason decisions.

The Raiders, who won just four games last season, entered the offseason needing a new quarterback. The QB room in 2024 featured Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder.

Michael Silver of The Athletic revealed that Brady did not want the Raiders to invest in Sam Darnold.

“While some believed the Las Vegas Raiders would try to sign Darnold, minority owner Tom Brady—a seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback whose opinion held great sway—was not in favor of that approach,” Silver wrote.

Going into the offseason, the Raiders were considered one of the favorites to sign Darnold. Brady’s opinion pointed the team in a different direction.

The Raiders instead opted for free-agent quarterback Geno Smith, whom they signed to a two-year, $75 million contract.

Darnold signed with Smith’s former team, the Seattle Seahawks, on a three-year, $100.5 million contract.

Last season, Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. He led the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record and a playoff appearance.

The Raiders’ offense is primed to take a step up behind a former Pro Bowl quarterback and sixth overall pick, Ashton Jeanty.

The Minnesota Vikings had a shockingly successful 2024 NFL season – at least relative to expectations – in large part due to the meteoric rise of quarterback Sam Darnold, a journeyman quarterback on a one-year deal. His presumptive price and the drafting of J.J. McCarthy, though, made Darnold remaining unlikely in the long-term. Now, following a Wild Card meltdown, it’s time for the Vikings to revive the quarterback question.

Darnold put up 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2024, with a passer rating of 102.5. He also effectively won the Vikings’ Wild Card matchup for the opposing Los Angeles Rams, spontaneously losing pocket awareness so thoroughly that he was sacked nine times. His QBR was 13.6.

Regardless of regular season performance, it’s difficult to justify retaining a quarterback who’s let the fans down in a moment of such spectacular hope.

As a contract seems increasingly unlikely, the next viable option for the Vikings would be a franchise tag – which would guarantee Darnold a bit over $40 million in 2025 and around $48.3 million for 2026 if he is tagged again. That number would eat up over two thirds of Minnesota’s cap space for 2025. While it would remain an option to trade Darnold under the tag, there’s no certainty of a deal. Unsurprisingly, there is reportedly “not much momentum” on the side of the franchise tag.

Meanwhile, with Matthew Stafford off the table, teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers are willing to pay a lot for a veteran quarterback. If Darnold hits free agency on March 12, he’ll have no shortage of suitors.

The Raiders and Giants are reportedly the most serious contenders, and that has a lot to do with desperation. If you watched football this season, you may remember that the Raiders split time between three backup-pedigree quarterbacks, while the Giants benched and then cut Daniel Jones, their former ‘quarterback of the future.”

The most likely scene is this: three or four teams each backed into their own corner, hoping Darnold will solve their QB worries. Darnold, who will take advantage of the high-pressure quarterback market to secure a deal for probably more than he’s worth.

And the Vikings? Well, star wideout Justin Jefferson isn’t worried about that.

“I’m not sure who the quarterback is going to be, and just like I said last year, it truly doesn’t matter personally to me,” Jefferson said. “It doesn’t matter who’s going to throw me that ball, I’m gonna make the most of my opportunities. I’m gonna try to make him look like the best quarterback in the whole NFL.”

The Minnesota Vikings began the 2024 season with an ambiguous quarterback situation, centered around journeyman Sam Darnold on a one-year deal and the newly-drafted J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy tore his meniscus in the preseason and missed the entire season in recovery, forcing Darnold into the starting position – a spot where he flourished for most of the season. He threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions, posting a 102.5 passer rating, and most importantly led Minnesota to a 14-3 record.

In the Vikings’ single playoff game, though, Darnold was less than stellar, posting a passer rating of 77.6 and a QBR of just 13.6 as he got sacked nine times. The Vikings got crushed by the 10-7 Los Angeles Rams, 27-9. And just like that, decisions about the quarterback slot became the team’s most pressing issue.

After Darnold’s postseason performance, it seems more likely than ever that Minnesota will move on. It was never viable to retain both quarterbacks, not least because McCarthy’s rookie contract would likely expire before a longer contract, like Darnold would likely seek. Then again, that same performance means Darnold will likely be millions cheaper than anticipated and may even appear on another short prove-it deal.

While nothing is certain yet, McCarthy did make an ambiguous X post on Monday: “Amor fati.”

The expression is literally translated to “love of fate,” and often implies acceptance of all experiences, good or bad, as opportunities for growth.

As the Vikings move toward next season, the spotlight creeps ever more onto McCarthy as the presumptive next starting quarterback. Whether his post refers to an injury, the team’s loss, or a general worldview, the team hopes he’ll be able to harness those experiences to become a stellar long-term starting quarterback.

The Minnesota Vikings are 11-2 heading into Week 15, and quarterback Sam Darnold is a big reason why.

Darnold, a former third-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, began his career as a starter with four consecutive losing seasons with the Jets and the Panthers. He lost the starting job in Carolina to Baker Mayfield, traveled to San Francisco to back up Brock Purdy in 2023, and signed a one-year deal with the Vikings in 2024.

As a journeyman quarterback, Darnold had largely been limited by his inconsistency. In Minnesota, though, he’s putting up career margins in almost every stat – and it’s not close.

Darnold’s average completion percentage over the past six seasons is just under 60%; this year, it’s 68.4%. His quarterback rating has jumped over fifteen points from his second-best season, and he’s already far outpaced his next-best season in touchdowns, with 28.

Whether it’s head coach Kevin O’Connell‘s system or a great receiving corps, starting with the best wideout in the league, Justin Jefferson, it’s undeniable that Darnold has been fantastic in Minnesota. His performance might be worth four or five times the $10 million the Vikings are paying him this year. That poses another problem: can or should the Vikings keep him?

The team drafted University of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the first round just this year, and he might have started the season if not for an early knee injury. They can extend McCarthy’s current contract as long as four years, but it’s likely the team will want to see what they have with their young quarterback sooner rather than later. Add that onto the longer contract 27-year-old Darnold would likely look for, and the Vikings’ decision becomes difficult.

Meanwhile, there’s no shortage of potential suitors. The New York Giants have no clear number-one quarterback after releasing Daniel Jones earlier in the year, the Jets will be moving on from the Aaron Rodgers experiment, and the Browns, Raiders and Titans have their own quarterback struggles. Darnold could have a clear, long-term starting spot on any of those teams.

If the Vikings make a long playoff run, though, it will be difficult to let him go.

Former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman argued for keeping Darnold, asking, “Why not do a potential bridge deal like Baker Mayfield [with the Buccaneers]? Three years, $100 million deal?”

Spielman noted that J.J. McCarthy has missed out on vital experience while rehabbing his knee, noting that the rookie may not be a week one starter next season. “He’s not practicing,” said Spielman, “So you’re starting from square one with him.”

Legendary Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph, though, disagreed.

“It’s a part of the game that’s tough,” he told Fox News Digital. “You got to make decisions based on the salary cap and you’re paying [Justin Jefferson] $35 million. It’s really hard to pay the best receiver in football, who deserves every dime he’s got, and then turn around and pay a quarterback $40-plus million a year.”

That cap situation contributed to former franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins’ decision to leave for Atlanta, and it might come back to haunt the Vikings.

The season is still young, though, and it’s defied all expectations for Vikings fans. The time for making decisions isn’t quite impending – for now, at least, they can sit back and watch the Darnold Show.

“He’s proven the doubters wrong, and he’s proven that he can play in this league,” said Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. “Let’s just make this the best possible season we can have.”

The Minnesota Vikings signed quarterback Daniel Jones on Wednesday. Jones was released by the New York Giants on Nov. 22 after nearly six seasons as the team’s struggling starter.

Taken with the sixth-overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Jones was supposed to be the franchise quarterback for a Giants team looking to replace two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning. At times, he showed decent ability and even led the team to a playoff victory in 2022. 

In 2023, he signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the team, having restored hope in the team’s future the previous season. He sustained a string of injuries soon after, however, and piloted the team to a 2-8 record in 2024. After getting benched for Tommy DeVito, Jones requested his release and appeared to leave the Giants on friendly terms.

“Daniel came to see me this morning and asked if we would release him,” Giants President John Mara said in a statement after the release. “We mutually agreed that would be best for him and for the team. Daniel has been a great representative of our organization, first class in every way. His handling of this situation yesterday exemplifies just that. We are all disappointed in how things have worked out. We hold Daniel in high regard and have a great appreciation for him. We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

Shortly before his Giants release, Jones read a letter at a press conference reflecting on his time with the team. In it, he summarized his career in New York, one that had its bright moments overshadowed by long stretches of adversity.

“There have been some great times, but of course, we all wish there had been more of those,” Jones said. “I take full responsibility for my part in not bringing more wins. No one wanted to win more games worse than me, and I gave everything I had on the field and in my preparation. Of course, this season has been disappointing for all, and of course, I wish I could’ve done more. I’m 100% accountable for my part. I did not play well enough, consistently enough, to help the team get the results.”

Because of his previous success and reputation as a positive team player, Jones was always going to land on another team. Some speculated that he might end up on the Cowboys, predicting that owner Jerry Jones would sign him out of spite. In the end, the Vikings made the far more reasonable move. Jones will be a serviceable backup behind Sam Darnold and could even remain with the team when J.J. McCarthy returns from injury next season.

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Week 8 after experiencing concussion symptoms on the trip back from Minnesota last week. Backup quarterback Sam Darnold will step in to lead one of the league’s strongest offenses in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

When reporters asked if Purdy suffered the concussion on a sneak attempt in the fourth quarter, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he and his staff reviewed game footage and could not definitively identify when the quarterback might have sustained the injury.

“Possibly, we don’t know for sure, ’cause he didn’t start getting [symptoms] until the plane, ” Shanahan said about the sneak. “I don’t know exactly, but I’d probably guess that.”

Compared to his recent form, Purdy performed poorly against the Vikings in Week 8, particularly in the fourth quarter, as San Francisco was looking to make a last-second comeback. He ended the night with 272 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

With Purdy missing significant time for the first time since the NFC Championship last year, Darnold will assume duties under center this week, nearly ten months since his last start for the Carolina Panthers. Once expected to be the everyday starter in Carolina when the team signed him in 2021, Darnold lost the job the following preseason to Baker Mayfield. He later regained the job as the team was limping through the end of a mediocre season, making six starts and leading the team to four wins.

Darnold signed with the 49ers in March as a backup option to Purdy and Trey Lance, who was once considered as the starter before Purdy began to show signs of a swift recovery from surgery. With Purdy named as the starter in the preseason, Darnold eventually beat Lance for the backup role.

Though some question the former first-round pick’s ability to pilot the 49ers’ offense, others see this as a profound opportunity for Darnold, who infamously struggled in inefficient offenses on the Jets and Panthers. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said on NFL Live Wednesday that he wasn’t worried at all about Darnold’s competence.

“If he (Purdy) doesn’t play, I do not expect them to skip a beat,” Orlovsky said. “I think they will be just fine with Sam Darnold. I have constantly believed that if Sam Darnold was placed on a team that was similar to San Francisco, he would play worthy of that top draft pick. This young man has been weathered. He’s mentally been through it all. He’s the most talented quarterback, physically, that Kyle Shanahan has had in that offense, at least since Matt Ryan.”

When Purdy took over the 49ers’ offense last season, the former third-string quarterback and 2022 last overall pick thrived with the help of offensive stars like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. The system surrounding Darnold has never been stronger in his career, giving him ample opportunity to succeed in Purdy’s absence.

The San Francisco 49ers listed quarterback Trey Lance as the third-string option Wednesday, behind starter Brock Purdy and new backup Sam Darnold. Lance and Darnold reportedly fought for the backup position throughout the preseason, but head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that the team reached a verdict earlier this month.

“We gave (Lance) a big chance to win that 2-spot this year… it was a very tough fight, but in the long run, Sam ended up winning it,” Shanahan said, according to The Athletic.

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the 49ers gave the Miami Dolphins three first-round picks in order to move up to the third overall pick and draft Lance, a largely inexperienced passer with just one full college season at North Dakota State. In two seasons since, Lance has only appeared in eight NFL games and began the 2022 season as the starter before sustaining a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.

While Lance recovered from surgery, the 49ers turned to Jimmy Garoppolo and then Purdy, the rookie third-string quarterback who only went in after two injuries at his position. Purdy made an immediate impact, leading the team into the postseason and all the way to the NFC Championship before going down with an injury himself. Shanahan said that his late-season performance secured him the starting job early on in the offseason.

“I mean this isn’t a thing where we’re giving up on Trey,” Shanahan said in a local radio interview Wednesday. “This is more of how Brock played in his seven games and that was decided before the season started, and how Sam’s looked. They’ve both looked good but we have to make a decision here. You only get so many reps at it. We feel, starting about 10 days ago, Sam really separated himself, and we’ve got to keep it real in that way.”

Before arriving in San Francisco, Darnold played three seasons for the Jets and two for the Panthers, never making a convincing case as a franchise quarterback for either team. The USC product will return to California and provide a capable safety net if Purdy struggles or goes down again.

Back in March 2021, the San Francisco 49ers traded up from the twelfth pick in the NFL draft all the way up to pick number three. After witnessing such a blockbuster trade, it was no secret what position the 49ers were targeting at this spot. They wanted their franchise quarterback.

The entire fanbase was kept on their toes for the rest of the weeks leading up to the NFL draft. The first two picks in that year’s draft were as much as a sure thing as you can get. However, no one knew who the 49ers were going to select at number three.

Mock drafts galore came out and predicted they would go with Alabama’s Mac Jones, who was arguably the safest choice out of the three quarterbacks who were likely to remain on the board at three overall. However, there were many fans who felt that the 49ers should go a different route in pursuing dual-threat Justin Fields as their quarterback of the future.

Then, of course, there were those who believed that NDSU’s dual-threat quarterback Trey Lance was clearly the best option available. In the end, the San Francisco 49ers wound up selecting Lance with the third overall pick in the NFL Draft, a prospect who many considered to be the most raw quarterback in the draft class having only played one full season in college, but one that arguably offered even higher upside than the number one overall selection in that year’s draft class, Trevor Lawrence.

Fast forward to the 2021 regular season. Jimmy Garoppolo is named starting quarterback, as the 49ers stated that they wanted to develop Lance and get him acclimated to the NFL in the right way.

Lance is asked to come in for a couple of plays here and there throughout the first few games of the season and even gets the opportunity to start a couple of games against teams like the Arizona Cardinals in week 5 and the Houston Texans in week 17, the latter being his first career win as a niner.

It was much later revealed that Lance had been “severely limited” all season long by a hairline fracture on his right index finger which he suffered during the preseason that “did not heal properly.” Kyle Shanahan, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers spoke about how Lance went “a whole year throwing without a bent finger, which changed everything and shows the toughness of the kid that he never complained about it. He tried to adjust so he could be out there.”

The injury forced Lance to completely adjust his grip on the football, as well as his throwing motion. With Lance already being considered a project coming into the draft, this was a massive hurdle he had to quickly overcome. In the end, Lance continued to battle through, even after having sustained a small knee injury in week 5 against Arizona.

The 49ers went on to make it to the NFC championship game that year, led by their starting quarterback Garoppolo. They wound up losing in heartbreaking fashion, as Garoppolo and the offense were unable to get anything done in the final minutes of the game.

Fast forward once more to the 2022 regular season. Shanahan publicly announced that this is “Trey Lance’s team.” The first game of the regular season is against the Chicago Bears, an ugly game in which both teams were forced to play, despite the torrential downpour. The rain only appeared to get worse and worse as the game went on, as the television screen even became blurry at a certain point due to the horrific weather conditions.

The 49ers ended up losing that game but looked to bounce back that next week against their divisional rival, the Seattle Seahawks.

Unfortunately, Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury on a designed run early in the game, as now backup quarterback Garoppolo was forced to take the reins. The 49ers took a while getting into their groove but ultimately played well with Garoppoloat the helm. In fact, after a sluggish 3-4 start, they started catching fire and won four straight games with Garoppololeading the way.

However, in week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, Garoppolo suffered a broken foot that would require season-ending surgery.

The 49ers, an NFL team with Super Bowl aspirations, were now in a heap of trouble. Their season was in mere shambles. The only quarterback healthy on the roster was a rookie whom they had selected with the very last pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Mr. Irrelevant himself, Brock Purdy.

The 49ers ended up winning that game, as Shanahan, who is also the 49ers offensive play-caller, completely flipped the game script in order to implement more rookie quarterback-friendly plays into the game, as they managed to come away with a 33-17 victory. After the game concluded, however, is when the real mayhem in San Fran had begun.

The 49er faithful were completely torn on what to do regarding their latest quarterback fiasco. People were calling for quarterback Baker Mayfield to play for San Francisco, while some remained hopeful that perhaps there was a small chance Lance could make an early return, however, it was quickly made clear that his recovery timeline hadn’t changed. The 49ers ultimately decided to roll with Purdy for that next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game in which Purdy dismantled the Buccaneers’ defense, making himself look like a seasoned veteran with a total of three touchdowns on the day, including an impressive rushing score.

The 49ers organization was feeling much better about their quarterback situation after this game, as Purdy ended up taking this squad on a hot winning streak, finishing the season off with an inspiring 13-4 record.

Although there were several awkward moments with Purdy at quarterback, the 49er’s offense was able to pick up right where they left off with Garoppolo and then some.

They went on to beat the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, Purdy remaining undefeated as the 49ers starting quarterback. Then, came the NFC championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles, a hotly anticipated matchup between two teams featuring ferocious defensive lines and high flying offenses.

The Eagles were the first to get on the board, scoring the first touchdown of the game, as they forced the 49ers to match. Just as the offense was looking to get things started, however, Purdy’s arm got hit hard by an Eagles defensive lineman, ultimately shattering the UCL in his right elbow. The 49ers ended up losing that game in a truly devastating fashion, as triple backup quarterback Josh Johnson ended up being ruled out for the game as well after an injury he sustained a little later on.

Now fast forward for the very last time to the 2023 offseason. When the 49ers selected Purdy with the two-hundred sixty-second pick in the NFL draft, no one expected the 49ers to actually consider him as their franchise quarterback for the start of the very next season. Yet, here we are.

In a recent interview with general manager John Lynch, Mr. Irrelevant has been named ‘leader in the clubhouse’ for the San Francisco 49ers. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the starting job will remain his by the start of week one.

As a result of his devastating injury, Lance underwent two successful surgeries in order to repair his fibula fracture and ligament disruption. In April of this year, Lance was seen working out with two-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and quarterback coach Jeff Christensen. He is now one hundred percent healthy again, as Shanahan has stated that “I think Trey is the best that we’ve (seen) him right now” after reportedly making a drastic adjustment to his throwing motion, which he corrected during the offseason.

Regarding Purdy, he is currently in the process of recovering from his injury and remains on track to be ready for the start of the regular season after having successful surgery on his elbow in March.

In a recent interview, Shanahan refused to rule out Lance as the starting quarterback of this team. “We did expect Trey Lance (to be our franchise quarterback for a long time) and I think that he still can be. You also don’t expect the last pick in the draft to come in and play at that level.”

Throughout the offseason, there have been numerous reports about the 49ers fielding calls to trade their potential quarterback of the future, Lance. Since he first got drafted with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, there has been a mountain of pressure on this young man’s shoulders. When the 49ers traded up to get Lance, it sure cost them a pretty penny, and fans are always going to remember what they had to sacrifice in order to get him. The 49ers ended up parting ways with that year’s twelfth overall pick, two future first-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 NFL drafts, as well as a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, giving all that draft capital to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the third overall pick.

The 49ers have an intriguing decision to make at the beginning of the 2023 regular season. They chose to part ways with Garoppolo after the injury he sustained against Miami, due to his inability to take the 49ers to the Super Bowl and win. They also signed former third overall draft pick Sam Darnold for more depth at the quarterback position in order to ensure that their season doesn’t fall by the wayside if one or two of their quarterbacks end up sustaining yet another brutal injury.

While there have been several reports claiming that Darnold has an opportunity to start week one, it seems highly unlikely this will be the case. Even if Purdy isn’t ready to go by week one, it remains highly doubtful that the 49ers won’t give the keys to Lance.

The real question becomes what the 49ers do, assuming Purdy is healthy. We already heard from Shanahan how Lance is looking better and feeling healthier than they’ve ever seen, but no one knows exactly how Purdy will look following his recovery from the tear in his right elbow.

The thing the 49ers have to consider is that even if Purdy looks exactly the same, is that enough for him not to lose his starting job? The fact of the matter is that the 49ers are an extremely talented roster, absolutely loaded on both sides of the football. They are in “win now” mode, and no one knows exactly how long their Super Bowl window will remain open.

Purdy is certainly the safest option they have when healthy. However, the 49ers traded their future away in order to secure a quarterback with a massive amount of potential to dominate in this league. While many fans will argue that Purdy has already proven what he can do on the field, the bottom line is that he hasn’t proven that he can carry this team farther than Garoppolo has. He hasn’t yet proven he can be elite.

Standing tall at 6’4”, Lance undoubtedly has more upside than any quarterback on the 49ers roster. Playing in college for a full four seasons, Purdy undoubtedly has more game-time experience than Lance, who has only played one full college season due to Covid-19.

It should not be forgotten what rookie Purdy was able to do last season with an uber-talented 49ers squad. However, the truth is, Lance has not been offered the opportunity he deserves to shine in this league. In his first season as a rookie, he was forced to sit back and watch as Garoppolo took the reins. In his second year, Lance got injured on a designed run that had him sprinting straight up the middle of the field, which is not a play call that many fans, including 49ers legend Jerry Rice, agreed with.

Despite the rough start to his NFL career, however, Lance remains optimistic, commenting in a recent interview, “how blessed I am to be in this position. I mean, I say it every single day. I play in the NFL. Hopefully, obviously, the plan is for me to get on the field this year and really get this thing started.”

I can certainly respect all that Purdy did for San Francisco last season, but I do believe Lance has the ability to dethrone Purdyas the starter of this team, as he appears hungry for the opportunity to prove his doubters wrong.

Whether or not Lance impresses enough in practice to take over as ‘leader of the clubhouse’ remains to be seen, but I just don’t know how the 49ers could possibly be willing to give up on a quarterback they’ve traded the farm to acquire, without so much as giving him the opportunity he so rightfully deserves as a starting quarterback in this league. He hasn’t yet been able to showcase the tremendous abilities in which he flashed in college, and until he does, the world will never know what Lance is truly capable of.

After weeks of competition at training camp, it appears that Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is finally ready to choose a course for his offense. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is expected to be named the starter for Week 1 ahead of Sam Darnold, who underwhelmed in his first season with the team last year.

The Athletic’s report on Wednesday does not necessarily come as a surprise, as Carolina traded with the Cleveland Browns for Mayfield during the offseason and named him as the starter in the team’s first preseason game. That being said, both quarterbacks have plenty to prove after disappointing starts to their careers. There may now be a starter in Charlotte, but it’s still unclear if there’s a winner.

Following a solid 2020 season in which Cleveland made the playoffs, Mayfield and the Browns seemed firmly in the hunt again in 2021 until they weren’t. On Dec. 20, the 7-6 Browns played the Las Vegas Raiders with a chance to take first place in the AFC East with a win. The next morning, they were in last place following a brutal 16-14 defeat.

Mayfield didn’t play because he could not clear COVID-19 protocols, but it may not have mattered, as he returned for two of the team’s final three games of the season and played poorly in two more losses.

Over the course of the regular season, Mayfield only managed to throw for more than 300 yards on two occasions. With the Browns in an intense division battle for most of the year, he earned an overall quarterback rating of 35.1. To make matters worse, the quarterback had to get surgery after the season to treat an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. Cleveland traded him away for a conditional fifth-round pick.

Meanwhile, Darnold’s first season in Carolina was even more disappointing. After beginning hot with three straight victories and four games over 250 yards, the former New York Jets quarterback regressed significantly for the rest of the season.

Missing most of November and December with a scapula fracture didn’t help, and between Oct. 10 and Jan. 9, Darnold only managed to throw for more than 200 yards on two occasions. The Panthers went 5-12, marking his fourth straight season below .500 to begin his career.

The battle for the Panthers’ starting job in 2022 is not one with personal glory or playoff hopes attached. That’s beyond the scope of what Carolina is currently capable of providing its players, even as Christian McCaffrey returns from injury in the backfield. Instead, the starting job in Carolina is an opportunity, one that both quarterbacks had to claw for.

With time running out on their “young upstart” reputations, both men have to deliver soon or fade into NFL obscurity. Mayfield’s earned the shot ⁠— for now.

There might be a quarterback controversy coming forth to the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers have acquired Baker Mayfield for a 2024 conditional fifth-round draft pick – but general manager Scott Fitterer assured that he won’t be guaranteed the starting gig.

He will have to compete with Sam Darnold, who will make about $18.86 million in 2022 on his fifth-year option.

The Panthers will only be paying $4.85 million of Mayfield’s salary.

“The reason why we added Baker was to make the group better as a whole,” Fitterer said.

“Sam is very much a part of this competition. I think they’re both gonna rise and play their best football they have.”

The trade to the Panthers came after Mayfield became disgruntled with the Cleveland Browns after he was involved with trade rumors all off-season.

It even worsened when the Browns reportedly told Mayfield that they would not accommodate his trade request.

Then the Browns were able to strike a deal in June for controversial Deshaun Watson, who allegedly had around two dozen civil suits that accused him of sexual assault and misconduct.

Mayfield and Darnold went within the top three picks of the 2018 NFL draft.

Going first overall was Mayfield followed by Darnold at the third spot by the New York Jets.

While both have had their moments in the NFL – there’s been a fair share of struggles ­­– especially with Darnold.

Over Darnold’s 50-game NFL career, he has 54 touchdowns to 52 interceptions with his completion percentage (Cmp%) below 60%.

Mayfield, on the other hand, has thrown 96 touchdown passes to 56 interceptions, with a Cmp% of 61.6%

Both Mayfield’s and Darnold’s teams missed the playoffs last year.

And now, the two will compete against each other for a starting job.

The first preseason game for the Panthers will kick off on August 13. 

Former Cleaveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has been treaded to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a conditional 2024 draft pick. The Browns will receive a fourth or fifth-round pick dependent on how much Mayfield plays in Carolina. For it to convert to a 4th rounder, Mayfield will have to play at least 70% of the snaps.

The former No. 1 overall pick in 2018 joins a team that already has a crowded quarterback room. The Panthers draft Matt Corrall out of Ole Miss in the third round 2022 NFL Draft just a season after trading for former New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. Reportedly, Mayfield will not be handed the starting QB gig and there will be a competition for the starting job.

Both Darnold and Mayfield were highly touted prospects in 2018, with Mayfield and Darnold being the first quarterbacks taken off the board in the 2018 NFL Draft taken at 1st and 3rd overall respectively. Mayfield and Darnold lead the NFL in total interceptions since entering the league in 2018.

Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam released a statement regarding Mayfield and his contributions to the Cleveland community. “We want to thank Baker for all his contributions to the Cleveland Browns,” they said. “From the moment he was drafted, he gave his all for this organization and this city. With his fierce competitive spirit, he excited the fanbase and accomplished things that no player at his position had done in Cleveland for a very long time. He also made a difference in the community, whether it was hosting events at the Boys and Girls Club, honoring our troops, supporting the Special Olympics as well as countless other charitable endeavors. We are grateful for everything he did for this organization and wish him and Emily well in the future.”

Mayfield had requested a trade from the team following the acquisition of Deshaun Watson amidst his 25 civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct. His tenure in Cleveland was inconsistent and tumultuous. Mayfield played with four different head coaches in his Browns career and a shoulder injury last year caused significant declines in his game. This, plus the team’s declination of his fifth-year option and lack of contract negotiations was all fuel to the eventual divorce.

The Panthers play the Browns in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL Season.

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule won’t have four quarterbacks from which to choose to close out the season, as the team released Matt Barkley.

The move leaves them with three quarterbacks—Cam Newton, Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker — on the active roster.

Barkley, 31, signed with the team on November 9, right after Darnold suffered a right shoulder fracture in the Week 9 loss to New England. However, he was active for just one of his six games with the team.

The 2013 fourth-round pick has completed 212 of 363 passes (58.4%) for 2,699 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions throughout his six seasons in the league.

The Carolina Panthers continue their rebuild since releasing former star Cam Newton in 2020. Not only that, but the team allowed wide receiver Curtis Samuel to leave in free agency.

The Panthers will have a new starting quarterback this season. Last year, Teddy Bridgewater was the starter but was traded to the Denver Broncos in the offseason. The team traded Bridgewater after acquiring Sam Darnold from the New York Jets via trade. Carolina also has Phillip Walker, who will most likely be the backup to Darnold. Darnold will be looking for a career revival in Carolina after three seasons of sub-par performances in New York.

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Carolina Panthers Schedule:

• Week 1: Sun 09/12 vs New York Jets
• Week 2: Sun 09/19 vs New Orleans Saints
• Week 3: Thu 09/23 at Houston Texans
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 vs Dallas Cowboys
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 vs Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 6: Sun 10/17 vs Minnesota Vikings
• Week 7: Sun 10/24 at New York Giants
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 at Atlanta Falcons
• Week 9: Sun 11/07 vs New England Patriots
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 at Arizona Cardinals
• Week 11: Thu 11/18 vs Washington Football Team
• Week 12: Sun 11/28 at Miami Dolphins
• Week 13: BYE
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 vs Atlanta Falcons
• Week 15: Sun 12/19 at Buffalo Bills
• Week 16: Sun 12/26 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 at New Orleans Saints
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC South: The Panthers currently do not stand a chance to win the division. They have the most electrifying player in the league in Christian McCaffrey, but they play in the same division as the reigning Super Bowl champions. The Bucs are the favorites and the Saints are still a good team despite Brees’ retirement. Carolina may be better than Atlanta, but they still aren’t quite good enough to compete with the Saints or Buccaneers. The reunion of Darnold and Robby Anderson should be interesting to watch, but the Panthers still leave much to be desired on both sides of the ball.

Matchups: The Panthers begin the season with two of three very winnable matchups. They start the season hosting the Jets, which will be a great opportunity for Darnold to face his former team and his replacement, rookie Zach Wilson. The Panthers’ toughest stretch of games will be their last four games of the season when they must face the Buccaneers twice, the Bills and the Saints.

Overall: Carolina is continuing to rebuild and is hoping that Darnold is the right quarterback for the franchise. The team is not expected to make the playoffs, but anything is possible.

Prediction: The Panthers will finish with a 7-10 record in Darnold’s first season with the Panthers.

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The Carolina Panthers sent veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

“Acquiring Teddy Bridgewater adds competition, experience and a strong veteran presence to our quarterback room,” Broncos general manager George Paton said in a statement.

The Panthers will pay the 28-year-old quarterback $7 million in 2021 while the Broncos will pay him $3 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“Panthers are trading QB Teddy Bridgewater to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick, as Tom Pelissero reported. Panthers paying Bridgewater $7 million, Broncos paying him $3 million, per source. Trade does not take Denver out of QB market Thursday night, per source,” read Schefter’s tweet.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Carolina reportedly gave Bridgewater the “okay” to facilitate a trade after the team acquired Sam Darnold from the Jets at the beginning of April. The Panthers sent a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, plus a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick in 2022 for Darnold.

Prior to the 2020 season, the Panthers signed Bridgewater to a three-year contract worth $63 million. Bridgewater was reportedly guaranteed $40 million over the first two seasons of the deal. However, Wednesday’s trade eliminates the final year and $21 million of his contract in 2022, according to 9News Denver’s Mike Klis.

In 2020, Bridgewater started 15 games for the Panthers. He finished the season with 3,733 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Panthers went 4-11 in games that he started.

On Monday, the New York Jets traded quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers just three years after hailing him as a franchise player. This trade ended months of speculations about their quarterback plans, with the 2021 NFL Draft looming in the distance.

In return for Darnold, the Jets received three picks: a sixth-rounder in the 2021 draft and a second-rounder along with a fourth-rounder in 2022. Since the Jets are left without a proven quarterback on their roster, they are expected to look toward’s this year’s April 29 draft set to take place in Cleveland.

The Jets’ leading candidate to replace Darnold is BYU’s Zach Wilson, who has met virtually with the Jets multiple times. According to ESPN Stats and Information research, if the Jets do select a quarterback No. 2 overall, they would become the first team since 1967, to select two quarterbacks within the top three overall picks in a four-year span.

Sources told ESPN that the Jets were conflicted by the decision to part ways with Darnold, and they even considered the idea of keeping him and pairing him with a rookie. However, they ultimately liked the idea of a fresh start and felt that any potential quarterback controversy might become too distracting.

Another factor that went into this decision was that resetting with a rookie contract will bring a fixed cost of a projected $35 million over four years. Keeping quarterback Darnold would have created financial uncertainty beyond 2021 if the Jets did not exercise his fifth-year option for 2022.

Darnold has one year remaining on his rookie contract, with guaranteed salary and bonuses totaling $4.6 million. The Panthers must decide on Darnlold’s fifth-year option for 2022 by May 3 and the predetermined amount is $18.8 million. The Carolina Panthers plan to discuss this with Darnold’s agent soon.

The position of the New York Jets regarding Sam Darnold appears to have changed.

The general manager of the Jets, Joe Douglas, had previously stated that he had no plans of trading away Darnold, who was considered to be their franchise quarterback. He has now come forward with a new mindset, stating that he is open to listening to trade offers. The Jets have already taken calls from multiple teams, and now face a major decision about the future of their organization.

The Jets finished the 2020 NFL season with a 2-14 record, which netted them the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Most draft experts have Clemson superstar Trevor Lawrence being drafted first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, but there are still a number of viable options at the quarterback position beyond Lawrence, particularly BYU product Zach Wilson. If the Jets want, they can trade Darnold for players or draft capital, and start fresh with Wilson. However, there is another element in the market in the form of Deshaun Watson. Watson has made it clear that he has no desire to remain with the Houston Texans, and despite the team’s public statements on their intention to keep him, it would not be a surprise if he is traded before the beginning of the 2021 season. A player of Watson’s caliber will require numerous early round draft picks in return, which the Jets currently possess, with two first-round draft picks in both 2021 and 2022. If they want, the Jets could make Houston a strong offer for Watson, but it is unclear if they want to give up that amount of capital for one player.

As it stands, the Jets have three options: stick with Darnold and use their high draft pick to fill holes at other positions, trade Darnold and take a quarterback with the No. 2 pick, or make a package that the Texans will be unable to refuse for Deshaun Watson.

The Jets have had little to no success in the past decade, and this decision will have a heavy impact on their fortune in the 2020s.

On Monday, rumors were flying across the NFL and various talk shows, at the local and national level, about the recent trade buzz between the New York Jets and Deshaun Watson. After expressing his unhappiness with the Texans, the Jets have been linked to Watson in potential trade scenarios for the Houston Texans quarterback.

In 2020, New York struggled, finishing the season with a 2-14 record. In their case, they should absolutely be in on Watson if the opportunity presents itself. The Jets already passed on Watson during the 2017 NFL Draft, and they should learn from their mistake this time around.

While it is unpredictable if the Jets will make an aggressive run for the 25-year old quarterback or not, it is clear that Watson wants to leave Houston. Though Watson has a no-trade clause, he could wave that and play for New York.

So far, Watson has not reportedly asked for a trade, but reports suggest his situation is getting worse. In fact, ESPN‘s Adam Schefter reported that sources in and around the Houston organization believe that Watson won’t play again for the Texans.

With the current situation as it stands, Watson has the chance to choose where he wants to play, and though the team hired new coach Robert Saleh, the Jets are at their lowest, and Watson has other options, including teams that have been more successful.

The Jets find themselves in the middle of Watson’s fiasco with Houston because of their unsettled quarterback situation with Sam Darnold. The Jets also hold four first-round picks in the 2021 and 2022 NFL drafts, most notable the No. 2 pick in April’s upcoming draft.

There is no denying that the price for Watson would be astronomical and would probably include some of their first-round picks. With those picks gone, the Jets would have to hypothetically rely on NFL free agency for talent, which is not optimal for rebuilding.

There has been no progression in Watson’s situation so far, and although he could end up with New York, nothing is certain yet, and only time will tell where Watson will land. One thing is for certain though – the Jets should not miss out on the opportunity to get one of the most talented and mobile quarterbacks in the NFL.

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