Former NFL coach Mike Martz loves what the 49ers are doing offensively. He ranked them atop his list of the top five offenses in the NFL for the 2023 season. That’s not a crazy take considering their list of weapons on that side of the ball. However, he posits in his analysis that Sam Darnold will be the team’s starting signal caller.
Martz lauds head coach Kyle Shanahan for producing such an effective offense with three starting QBs last season, two of which didn’t have much experience in Brock Purdy and Trey Lance. He doesn’t want to see them continue leaning on Lance and Purdy though, and instead believes it’s Darnold who will elevate the 49ers’ offense to new heights. Here’s Martz via the 33rd Team:
“I believe Darnold will start. He was a highly talented guy coming out of college. He was put in a couple of tough situations with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. Now, he’s with a solid offensive staff and a coach who is brilliant with quarterbacks. The 49ers are an extremely talented team, and Darnold being the starter would be a good thing. They are primed to have a great season.”
It appears Martz believes Darnold is the best QB on the 49ers’ roster.
That may bear itself out during training camp considering Darnold’s physical tools, but in 55 career starts he’s yet to turn his physical gifts into on-field success. His career completion rate is just 59.7 percent, his 6.7 yards per attempt is unimpressive, and his 61-to-55 TD-to-INT ratio isn’t great.
Perhaps a change of scenery and landing in the 49ers’ offense helps Darnold blossom in ways he hasn’t had an opportunity to in his five NFL seasons. However, it’s hard to bet on that at this point in his career. Not to mention the team really loves Brock Purdy and invested three first-round picks in Trey Lance.
Darnold may get an opportunity, but the chances he starts over a healthy Purdy and a healthy Lance don’t seem particularly high. He still has a lot to prove this offseason, and if he does wind up translating his tools to on-field success under Shanahan, we could certainly see the 49ers’ offense take off. There’s a long way to go before he reaches that point though.
