Darnold won the backup job in a preseason camp competition with former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, who was eventually dealt to Dallas instead of sticking around in San Francisco as a third-stringer. San Francisco is Darnold’s third stop in his career, which began in New York as the third-overall pick of the Jets in the 2018 draft, and continued with a revival attempt in Carolina that ultimately fell short.
He’s since operated in the shadows in San Francisco, dutifully processing and executing Shanahan’s offense in practice as a backup behind the highly touted Purdy. He could get his first chance to show he’s in a better place in San Francisco if Purdy cannot play Sunday.