Brock Purdy's Opinion of Sam Darnold Leaves No Doubt

Brock Purdy emerged as a surprise star for the San Francisco 49ers after being taken with the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. He's now in a position to potentially lead San Francisco to a Super Bowl win this season.

Since his rookie season, Purdy has seemingly improved his game and looks like a true star quarterback in the league. He does a fantastic job of feeding the ball to playmakers Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk consistently.

However, it sounds like former teammate and current Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Sam Darnold, played a large part in developing Purdy's game. Purdy praised Darnold for helping him adjust to the NFL, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic.

Although Darnold has had a bumpy career, he's proven to be a reliable backup option. Couple that with his experience, he has the brains to help any young quarterback in the league. At the very least, that's the exact role he had in San Francisco playing alongside Purdy in the quarterback room.

Both quarterbacks had relatively strong outings in Week 1 this season. Purdy worked his magic on "Monday Night Football," helping the 49ers overcome the New York Jets 32-19. Purdy finished the contest throwing 19/29 for 231 yards.

Meanwhile, Darnold was a surprise to many after destroying the New York Giants 28-6. He had an amazingly great first half and threw for a 100 completion percentage on his first 10 passes. He ultimately finished the game throwing 19/24 for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

Purdy remains on his rookie contract that doesn't end until the end of the 2025-26 season. The 49ers have taken advantage of Purdy's cheap deal by spending salary cap everywhere else around him. It's allowed general manager, John Lynch, to build one of the most stacked rosters in the NFL. Purdy is expected to negotiate a new contract sometime next offseason.

As for Darnold, he began his career with the Jets after they selected him No. 3 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. That turned out to be a failed experiment. Darnold then played for the Carolina Panthers for two years and the 49ers in 2023 before signing with the Vikings this offseason.

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