Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday that Sam Darnold will open training camp as the team's No. 1 QB. O'Connell did not commit to anything beyond that, though, saying that he plans for a "competitive" training camp.
In recapping the Vikings' just-completed minicamp, The Athletic's Alec Lewis says QB Sam Darnold "looked calm, confident and prepared for what is likely to be another starting opportunity." Lewis also highlighted the inconsistency in rookie QB J.J. McCarthy's performance, adding that it should be expected for the first-round pick. Lewis added that Darnold took every first-team rep in the minicamp and that McCarthy didn't work with starters when the Vikings split into "starters" and "developmental" groups. Minnesota signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million contract before the draft, with $8.75 million of that fully guaranteed. That doesn't lock in Darnold as the starter for any portion of the coming season. But it's enough money to suggest that we shouldn't be surprised if he opens the year behind center.
The Vikings acquired the 23rd overall pick of this year's draft -- plus pick No. 232 -- from the Texans in exchange for picks 42, 188, and a 2025 second-rounder. Minnesota now holds the 11th and 23rd overall picks in the draft. The obvious conclusion here is that the Vikings are stockpiling ammo to make a move up for a QB. They'd likely need to trade into the top three to land Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or Drake Maye. Or they could make a smaller move up for J.J. McCarthy. Any of those guys would be good news for the short and long-term fantasy outlooks of WR Justin Jefferson, WR Jordan Addison, and TE T.J. Hockenson. QB Sam Darnold currently tops Minnesota's depth chart.
The Vikings and QB Sam Darnold agreed to a one-year deal worth "up to" $10 million, NFL Network reports. That's more than "backup money" but doesn't necessarily guarantee Darnold the 2024 starting job. Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall are the other QBs currently on the roster, but Minnesota could certainly add a rookie in April's draft. It's been a popular landing spot for Michigan's J.J. McCarthy in mock drafts. Darnold attempted 46 passes for the 49ers last year, with 26 of them coming in a meaningless regular-season finale. He started 17 games for the Panthers across the 2021 and 2022 seasons, completing 59.5% of his passes at 6.7 yards per attempt -- right around his career averages. Darnold would be a significant downgrade from QB Kirk Cousins for Minnesota's pass catchers.
49ers QB Sam Darnold will start Sunday's regular-season finale vs. the Rams, HC Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday. QB Brock Purdy will join RB Christian McCaffrey on the sidelines for that one after San Francisco locked up the NFC's No. 1 seed. WR Deebo Samuel, WR Brandon Aiyuk, and TE George Kittle are unlikely to play much, if at all, against the Rams.
QB Brock Purdy has cleared the concussion protocol and will start Sunday for the 49ers against the Bengals. We’ve been expecting this outcome and switched from Sam Darnold to Purdy in our Week 8 rankings on Friday
49ers QB Brock Purdy (concussion) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. He's made some progress through the protocol and has a chance to be cleared in time for Sunday's game vs. the Bengals. But, as of now, we'd still consider QB Sam Darnold more likely to start that one.
Niners QB Brock Purdy has entered the league concussion protocol. The Athletic's Matt Barrows reports that Purdy began showing symptoms on the flight back from the Monday night loss at Minnesota. The timing obviously puts Purdy's status in question for Sunday's game against the Bengals. Sam Darnold would be in line to start if Purdy can't go. We'll track the situation throughout the week.
The 49ers have named Sam Darnold their No. 2 QB, NFL Network reports. That leaves QB Trey Lance as the No. 3 -- and his future with the team in limbo. We'll see if Lance is still on the 49ers' roster come Week 1, but he's obviously not worth a roster spot in any redraft leagues.
ESPN's Adam Schefter believes Sam Darnold will head to training camp as the favorite for the 49ers' No. 2 QB job. With a healthy QB Brock Purdy the favorite to start, that'd leave QB Trey Lance third on the depth chart. Schefter adds that he doesn't expect Lance to be traded because "there was never a lot of interest." The massive fall continues for Lance, who was the third overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. He's certainly worth keeping stashed on dynasty rosters, but it's getting tougher to spend a pick on Lance at any point of best-ball drafts.
49ers QB Brock Purdy (elbow) is expected to resume throwing sometime next week, HC Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday. Purdy continues to make steady progress in his return from UCL surgery on his throwing elbow. Barring a setback, it's looking like he'll be ready to go for training camp. GM John Lynch called Purdy "the leader in the clubhouse" for the starting job earlier this offseason. We'll see if he can hold off Trey Lance (and Sam Darnold?) this summer.
Niners HC Kyle Shanahan says the team expects to have QB Brock Purdy back from his right elbow injury by training camp, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. Purdy has reportedly "been making throwing motions with a towel," though there's no word on his accuracy in hitting the hamper. He's expected to begin throwing footballs in June. We'll see whether Purdy's return to action pushes a Trey Lance trade.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan stated on Tuesday that he anticipates having QBs Trey Lance and Sam Darnold split first-team reps in practice this offseason, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. This comment comes on the heels of reports that QB Brock Purdy is the "leader of the clubhouse" in San Francisco, suggesting that Lance's standing on the depth chart is in serious jeopardy. Dynasty managers who roster Lance probably aren't feeling too great right now. There was always a level of understanding that Lance would be a developmental project, especially coming into the NFL with little starting experience at an FCS-level college program at North Dakota State. But now, two years into his career, Lance has four starts under his belt, a severe ankle injury on the mend, and Purdy seems poised to be the starter once he recovers from the elbow injury he sustained in the NFC title game vs. the Eagles. So it wouldn't be fair to characterize Lance as a bust. We don't have enough evidence to suggest he can't be a starter for an NFL team. What we do know, however, is that the odds of that team being the 49ers are beginning to dwindle. Those who feel confident in Lance's potential are looking at a solid buy-low window right now, but it would be best not to be super aggressive in trying to acquire him. We're into some pretty muddy waters with this situation. We'll be sure to keep an eye on this storyline as the spring and summer unfold.
Niners GM John Lynch on Monday called a healthy QB Brock Purdy "the leader in the clubhouse" for the team's starting job, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. That stops short of anointing Purdy the starter once his repaired throwing arm is ready. But it's certainly not good for Trey Lance, just two years after the franchise traded quite a bit to move up and draft him third overall. Lynch said Purdy, Lance, and Sam Darnold will compete for the job. And perhaps 49ers leadership is trying to motivate Lance, ahead of his third NFL season. Even if that's the case, though, it wouldn't be a great sign if they think the 23-year-old (this May) needs such motivation. Lance remains a high-ceiling best ball pick in case he does win the job. And we'll see about Purdy's health this summer. But there's also high risk to rostering Lance in formats where you can't replace him once the season starts. Of course, Darnold arriving to Week 1 as the starter would be bad news for everyone.
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