Kyle Shanahan compares Sam Darnold to Steve Young - "He’s got that type of ability"
Kyle Shanahan's stock seems to be rising every single year, as the San Francisco 49ers continue to get better. Back-to-back appearances in NFC Champions games are very impressive and they were close to making the Super Bowl.
A couple of mistakes cost the 49ers in 2021 against the Rams and an injury to Brock Purdy essentially ended the 2022 NFC Championship game.
Jimmy Garoppolo is now out the door and off to Las Vegas, and the 49ers' quarterback room now comes into question. Trey Lance only played twice in 2022 because of injury and in came 'Mr Irrelavnt' Brock Purdy. Purdy won five regular-season starts and beat the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs before an injury in the championship game.
The 49ers brought in Sam Darnold to fill the hole left by Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan praised him while speaking to reporters after Wednesday's practice:
“If you have three quarterbacks good enough to make teams in the NFL, you always keep ’em, and then that’s what I’m happy about, cause I think we’ve got four right now...
“You look at the history of the league, the quarterback is not dependent on one person. You’ve gotta have good players around you, you’ve gotta be in a good situation, and that’s always tough...
“I mean, Steve Young took a while to get going, and he’s one of the best quarterbacks of all time, I don’t like to compare anyone to Steve, cause of how good he is, but why can’t Sam be like that? He’s got that type of ability. He is that type of person. And I’m just pumped that we could get a talented guy like him here.”
Steve Young has earned himself a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame and got himself three Super Bowl rings, not a bad person to be compared to. Realistically, Sam Darnold has a way to go to achieve those accolades.
Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers hunting a Super Bowl win
The 49ers clearly have all the necessary pieces to win a ring. Christan McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are some of the league's best players in their positions.
With this stacked roster expectations are high and create a heavy burden for whoever is in under center. It should be a good battle to see who Kyle Shanahan trusts the most.
Admittley Kyle Shanhan's first two Super Bowl trips did end in heartbreak. Shanahan was the offense coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons when they blew that famous 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots. The Falcons had one of the best offenses of the decade but were completely shut down in the second half.
The 49ers also blew a 10-point lead in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. Three fourth-quarter touchdowns completely changed the swing of the game and the 49ers fell away when it mattered most.
If the 49ers are lucky with injuries it's almost a certainty that they are going to make the playoffs. Kyle Shanahan has one of the league's best rosters at his disposal and many expect San Francisco to have a run at the Super Bowl this season.