Kyle Shanahan Showers Sam Darnold with Huge Praise; Misses Him in San Francisco

Ahead of a huge game against the 49ers in Week 2, Sam Darnold’s former head coach, Kyle Shanahan, had nothing but great things to say about the current Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback.

Entering their game last week against the New York Giants, there was understandable pessimism surrounding Darnold. As the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, the 27-year-old is widely considered a huge bust.

Kyle Shanahan still loves Sam Darnold

However, more optimistic Vikings fans hoped that his failure in New York was more a symptom of his surroundings, than it was his abilities. He showed some signs of a career turnaround while in San Francisco, and continued that last week.

Also Read: Where do the Minnesota Vikings land on the latest NFL offense rankings?

Darnold didn’t look like a bust in week one, vs the Giants. That may be much more difficult to do on Sunday, against a very tough 49ers defense. His former head coach believes the Vikings have a hidden gem, leading the offense in 2024.

#49ers HC Kyle Shanahan loves #Vikings QB Sam Darnold and what he brought to the team last season when he played there.

Shanahan had HIGH praise for Darnold and how much he improved week to week last season.

“Loved having Sam here, he was an awesome guy. He’s been that way… pic.twitter.com/XsPc8C3FKk

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) September 13, 2024

“Loved having Sam here, he was an awesome guy. He’s been that way everywhere he’s been. And we found it out personally here … But always liked Sam before he got here. Just his talent level from college and what you’d seen in the NFL was exactly as good as advertised. He’s such a good athlete, so tough, and can make any throw. I thought he got better throughout the year.”

Minnesota Vikings are a great spot for Darnold

The 49ers head coach claims Sam Darnold was “so detailed in what he did” and worked hard to “try to pick stuff up.” Shanahan confirmed he misses Sam in San Fran. He clearly feels strongly that Darnold left the Niners as a better QB than when he got there.

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When Sam Darnold landed with the Minnesota Vikings, the hope was Kevin O’Connell could take Darnold’s game to new heights. So far, that’s looking like a pretty good possibility. He was hoping to bring the QB back have some back luck in free agency and return to San Francisco.

“Yeah, I thought it was a real good spot for him. And I was happy for him. I was hoping he’d find no good spots and come back here. But I was happy for him. He got this opportunity because Sam more than deserves it. Sam is a starting quarterback in this league and he should run with it.”

Kyle Shanahan on Sam Darnold’s fit in Minnesota

Also Read: Get a rundown of Sam Darnold and the Vikings NFL stats ahead of Week 2