Sports

Darnold credits Purdy, 49ers for his career-best success in 2024 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Sam Darnold had a career best 2024 NFL season with the Minnesota Vikings, and he gave his time with the 49ers and Brock Purdy a lot of credit for his recent success.

Darnold recently spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area in support of the Lowe’s Foundation to support SkillsUSA National Signing Day, which celebrates students entering skilled trades like plumbing, electrical, HVAC and construction. The cause is personal for the quarterback, whose father was a plumber by trade.

“Brock helped me a ton,” Darnold said. “With certain things of how to prepare and even just watching him play. Just how he processes on the field and all those certain things.”

Darnold helped the Vikings to a 14-3 record, which subsequently led to a three-year $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. The USC product’s 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and 66.2 completion percentage in 2024 are the best of his seven-year career, leading to his first Pro Bowl honors.

“First of all, I think his poise,” Darnold said of Purdy. “Whether he made a good play, a bad play, you celebrate on the field with your teammates, you get pumped, but then you come right back to the sideline and you have the same demeanor. That was something I always admired about Brock.

“And then the other thing. Is how he prepared. I say this all the time, but I give Brock a ton of credit in showing me the ropes that way. He showed me so much in how to prepare and how to study. He was so helpful that way.”

Darnold was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft by the New York Jets, where he played for three seasons before spending two years with the Carolina Panthers. The veteran playcaller shared that his time in the Bay Area was when he really developed the best way to prepare each week.

“Obviously, you think you’re spending more time in the facility and you’re going over the plays, you think you’re doing a good job, especially when I was a young quarterback in New York,” Darnold said. “I think understanding how to do it was the most important thing for me.

“I feel like Brock, and Brandon Allen as well, really showed me the ropes on how to better prepare as a quarterback in this league, and I’m going to take that with me for the rest of my career.”

Darnold also gave a significant amount of credit to Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers coaching staff for how he now analyzes plays developing in the field. How the head coach and then-quarterbacks coach Brian Griese simplified plays is an aspect of the game that the quarterback will continue to utilize.

“I think that’s the biggest thing that I learned going there was just to trust the progressions and if something is not there, trust it, and move on to the next one and the next one,” Darnold said.  “If that’s not there, then be able to make a play potentially, but understand where my outs are. If I’m hot, understand where my hot is. If I need to hang in the pocket, understand where I can potentially throw the ball away if there’s pressure.

“They taught me so much about playing good football, and I’m forever thankful for my time there.” 

Darnold will see his former teammates in Week 1 when the 49ers travel to Seattle for the season opener. 

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How 49ers rookie Martin already has impressed his idol Warner originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

They say to never meet your idol.

But that hasn’t been the case for 49ers rookie Nick Martin and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner.

Martin, San Francisco’s No. 75 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, revealed that the only jersey he ever has purchased is Warner’s.

“I never bought a player’s jersey other than Fred Warner’s,” Martin said back in October on “The Draft Club” podcast. “I’ll wear his jersey and be proud of it. He’s a dog, for real.”

Now, seven months later, in the early stages of the 49ers’ offseason program, Warner revealed that Martin doesn’t try to act too cool around one of his biggest inspirations and constantly picks his brain.

“I’ve loved everything that Nick’s been about since he’s arrived,” Warner told reporters after practice Thursday in Santa Clara. “I heard the whole story about how he said he had my jersey before coming on the team, and with some of those situations, the whole too cool thing, I don’t know what it is, you just don’t want an older player to think they’re just like little bro or something.

“But he’s come in and he’s asked me every single question known to man. ‘Fred, how are you doing this? What are you doing after practice? What are you doing after the lift?’ And wanting to be a part of those things and not being afraid to ask those questions. I’ve seen the athletic ability flash already on the field and the way that he closes space really quickly, and he already has the great mindset of wanting to learn.

“So I’m really happy with where he’s at.”

After the 49ers lost Dre Greenlaw in free agency, they knew they had a void to fill, and they hope to have found it in Martin.

Martin (5-foot-11 1/2, 221 pounds) had a huge junior season at Oklahoma State, as he registered 140 tackles, six sacks and 16 tackles for loss. His senior season was cut short, as he missed the final seven games of the season due to a knee injury.

But he’s feeling good in his new home in the Bay, alongside one of his favorite players ever.

“Two linebackers that I have a lot of respect for [are] Ray Lewis and Fred Warner,” Martin said. “They’re dogs. They have a knack for the ball and play recognition. “And Fred, he [is] balling right now. And I grew up watching Ray Lewis.”

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