Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold

26-Year-Old QuarterbackQB
Minnesota Vikings
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Darnold started the final six games for the Panthers last season after first losing the starting job to Baker Mayfield in training camp and then suffering an ankle injury that kept him out two months. While he threw only three interceptions, he wasn’t accurate. His 65.0 on-target percentage ranked 38th of 40 QBs with at least 140 attempts, and his 58.6 completion percentage was 36th. He signed a one-year deal with the 49ers this offseason to compete with Trey Lance while Brock Purdy recovers from elbow surgery. Should Darnold get snaps, he’ll have more talent around him than he’s ever had before in his career. He can at least dump the ball off and let the 49ers’ playmakers gobble up yards after the catch, as they did last year when they led the league with 6.6 YAC per reception. Darnold is also a capable scrambler, good for about 15-20 yards per game, potentially giving him value in two-QB leagues if he ends up making starts for a loaded Niners team. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings in March of 2024.
Commits to Vikings
QBMinnesota Vikings
March 11, 2024
Darnold agreed to terms on a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
Darnold spent the 2023 campaign as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco, but he now will join his former teammate and current Vikings quarterback coach Josh McCown in Minnesota. With Kirk Cousins en route to Atlanta, Darnold becomes the de facto No. 1 option under center with his new team. Darnold completed 16 of 26 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown while adding another 19 yards and a trip to the end zone on seven carries in his only start for the 49ers last season. It remains to be seen if Minnesota will draft or bring in competition for Darnold, as the journeyman signal-caller could be viewed either as a bridge to a younger quarterback or potential option for the future.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Sam Darnold's 2023 advanced stats compare to other quarterbacks?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Bad Pass %
    The percentage of passes that were considered to be poorly thrown.
  • Avg Target Depth
    The average number of yards thrown per pass by the quarterback – including incomplete passes.
  • Sack Rate
    The percentage of dropbacks where the quartback was sacked. The longer the bar below, the more often they are sacked relative to other QBs.
  • Avg Receiver YAC
    The average number of yards after the catch that receivers gained on passes thrown by this quarterback.
  • Receiver Drop %
    The percentage of passes dropped by receivers on passes thrown by this quarterback. The longer the bar, the more sure-handed his receivers have been.
Bad Pass %
21.7%
 
Avg Target Depth
8.0 Yds
 
Sack Rate
11.5%
 
Avg Receiver YAC
5.8 Yds
 
Receiver Drop %
4.3%
 
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2023
2022
2021
2020
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2018
2023 NFL Game Log
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2022 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Minnesota VikingsVikings 2023 QB Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

48645%
30228%
23522%
464%
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2023 Sam Darnold Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Sam Darnold's measurables compare to other quarterbacks?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 3"
 
Weight
225 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.85 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.40 sec
 
Cone Drill
6.96 sec
 
Vertical Jump
26.5 in
 
Broad Jump
105 in
 
Hand Length
9.38 in
 
Arm Length
31.00 in
 
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
The hope was that a change of scenery would do Darnold some good, but his play in Carolina last season mirrored his play in New York. In 12 games with the Panthers, his numbers were virtually the same as in 12 games the year before with the Jets. Darnold's completion rate, on- target rate and YPA were each bottom 4 in the league, while his 3.2 percent INT rate was third highest. On downfield attempts, he ranked 28th in on-target rate (40.5 percent) and last in YPA (8.3). The Panthers made no secret of their desire to upgrade the position, drafting Matt Corral in the third round and later trading for Baker Mayfield. The team still gave Darnold a shot this summer, but Mayfield ultimately won the job battle and was named the Week 1 starter before the third preseason game.
Darnold put the final nail in his Jets coffin last year with a season that was among the worst in the league for QBs. His completion percentage (59.6) and on-target percentage (67.0) both placed third lowest in the league, and his 6.1 YPA was fourth lowest. In 12 games, Darnold topped 200 yards passing just four times, and he was one of four qualified QBs with more INTs than TD passes. On attempts of 20-plus yards, Darnold's 34.2 percent on-target rate ranked last. The list goes on (and on). No surprise, the Jets' new regime cleaned house, sending Darnold to Carolina. The Panthers still see enough in Darnold that they gave up second-, fourth- and sixth-round draft picks to acquire him and picked up his fifth-year option. Darnold has a strong arm, good mobility and can thrown on the run, and perhaps the issues holding him back — namely, poor decision-making and pocket presence — can be overcome with a better coaching staff and a better supporting cast than he ever had in New York. Head coach Matt Rhule and OC Joe Brady's offense should play to Darnold's strengths, using boots and play-action to get him on the move. Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore and former Jets teammate Robby Anderson give Darnold three big-play targets, and the team signed TE Dan Arnold in March. Plus, there's much less pressure on Darnold in Carolina than there was in the media spotlight of New York, where he was heralded as the franchise savior after being drafted third overall in 2018. In two-QB leagues, Darnold looks like a decent gamble.
It might not be make-or-break, but Darnold enters his third NFL season with big expectations. The Jets are counting on his second year in coach Adam Gase's offense going more smoothly than last year when an early season bout with mononucleosis cost him three games. It took Darnold some time to get on track once he returned as he threw nine interceptions (to five TDs) in his first four games back. But in the second half of the season he made great strides, throwing 13 touchdowns and four interceptions and increasing his YPA by more than a yard (7.3 vs. 6.2) over the first half as the Jets went 6-2. If Darnold is to take the next step, though, he has to improve his deep-ball accuracy. Last season, he completed only 25.0 percent of his attempts longer than 20 yards, 29th of 32 qualified QBs. His 9.2 YPA on those throws was 26th. He also was ineffective on play action, ranking 29th in YPA, 31st in completion percentage and last in passer rating. Perhaps he'll get more time behind a rebuilt offensive line after taking 33 sacks in 13 games last year. The Jets signed three linemen and drafted 6-7, 364-pound LT Mekhi Becton 11th overall. Darnold, whose fantasy upside is capped by a lack of rushing, lost field-stretcher Robby Anderson in free agency, but the Jets signed Breshad Perriman and drafted WR Denzel Mims, who boasts both size (6-3) and speed (4.38 40). With the exception of Kyler Murray, the 23-year-old Darnold is still younger than every projected starting quarterback this season, including No. 1 pick Joe Burrow. Even so, with the division as wide open as it's been in years, it's go time for Darnold.
Picked third overall in last year's draft, Darnold walked into an ugly situation with the Jets and created legitimate cause for optimism by year's end. His final stat line was not much to look at, and he only won four of his 13 starts, but a strong connection with deep-threat Robby Anderson sparked an impressive three-week stretch in December. The Jets also got a surprisingly effective season from rookie tight end Chris Herndon, then in the offseason spent big money on running back Le'Veon Bell and slot receiver Jamison Crowder. With Anderson and Quincy Enunwa also returning, Darnold has a much better situation for his second NFL campaign. The offensive line is somewhat less encouraging, but a trade for guard Kelechi Osemele at least provides hope for modest improvement. Better blocking would go a long way, considering Darnold lived up to his aggressive reputation by ranking 11th in average depth of target (9.0) as a rookie. He's no dink-and-dunk game manager, but while he has the ability to move around and throw his receivers open, Darnold doesn't possess the type of elusiveness that would allow him to thrive as a downfield passer behind a shaky line. Of course, he may be forced into safe, high-percentage throws under new coach Adam Gase, who favored the short passing game in Miami.
Darnold was viewed as a candidate for the No. 1 overall selection in April's draft, but when he fell to the third spot, the Jets were happy to scoop him up with the hope that he might emerge as a franchise savior. Though the Jets re-signed their primary starter from 2017 (Josh McCown) and brought in another accomplished signal-caller in free agency in Teddy Bridgewater, Darnold was given the opportunity to compete for the top job in training camp and quickly made a positive impression in practices and exhibition play. The Jets have yet to officially announce their plans for Week 1, but the team's decision to trade Bridgewater to the Saints on Aug. 29 likely opens the door for Darnold to begin the season as the team's starter. At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Darnold brings ideal size to the position along with a strong arm and good mobility. He can improvise to extend plays and throw accurately on the run, but the knock on him is two-fold: his windup delivery and ball security. Some scouts believe Darnold probably has enough velocity to overcome the extra release time caused by the delivery, but he'll need to improve his decision making to address the latter concern. During his final year at USC, Darnold was responsible for 22 turnovers, including nine lost fumbles.
More Fantasy News
Solid as backup in 2023
QBSan Francisco 49ers
February 8, 2024
Darnold completed 61 percent of his pass attempts for 297 yards, two touchdowns and one interception across 10 games (one start) with San Francisco in 2023.
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Two scores in first start for SF
QBSan Francisco 49ers
January 8, 2024
Darnold completed 16 of 26 pass attempts for 189 yards and a touchdown while rushing seven times for 19 yards and another score in Sunday's 21-20 loss to the Rams. He also lost a fumble.
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Starting regular-season finale
QBSan Francisco 49ers
January 3, 2024
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Wednesday that Darnold will serve as the 49ers' starting quarterback for Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Rams, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
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Takes over late for injured starter
QBSan Francisco 49ers
December 25, 2023
Darnold completed eight of 14 pass attempts for 81 yards, a touchdown and an interception while adding nine rushing yards on one attempt in Monday's 33-19 loss to the Ravens.
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Mops up in blowout win
QBSan Francisco 49ers
December 6, 2023
Darnold carried once for minus-one yard while playing four of the 49ers' 59 snaps on offense in Sunday's 42-19 win over the Eagles.
ANALYSIS
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