Sam Darnold Explains Why He Wanted In On Crowded 49ers QB Room

One of the most compelling storylines heading into training camp is who will come out on top as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback: Trey Lance, Brock Purdy, or Sam Darnold.

The latter signed with the 49ers when it was already clear that a good ol' fashioned quarterback off was in the cards. So, then why did he decide to throw his hat into the ring for what was already a hotly contested starting spot?

Well, now we have an answer straight from Darnold himself.

According to an interview the former USC Trojan did with Barstool SPorts' Pardon My Take. it came down to the smorgasbord of talented targets for him to throw to in San Francisco.

"Guys are open, I mean, there's a lot of guys open on dang near every play," Darnold said per NFL.com. "It just seems like there's a ton of answers. Great run game. I mean, whenever you can have a great run game as a quarterback, that's always a comforting feeling.

Sam Darnold must be one of those dudes who goes to one of those bars where they have like several dozen taps. Having options can be cool, but especially so if you're an NFL quarterback, when your reputation can get dragged down by a lack of suitable fellas to huck passes to.

Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle are just a few of the weapons the San Francisco 49ers have on offense. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

Did Sam Darnold Bet On Himself By Signing With The 49ers?

It's an appealing job. San Francisco's offense is loaded with insane talent. Essentially, the task at hand is to deliver the ball to one of the team's many superstars and let them make you look like a genius.

"I think just with the certain weapons that they have, you know, Deebo (Samuel), (Brandon) Aiyuk, George (Kittle), obviously Christian (McCaffrey), Juice (Kyle Juszczyk), Jauan Jennings, like there's so many guys you can go on and on."

It sounds like Darnold bet on himself when signing in San Francisco. A lot of people would probably regard him as the dark horse candidate behind Purdy and Lance.

However, knowing that he has some of the best targets in the league at his disposal means that it'll be up to him to prove he's the man for the job.

It won't be easy, but it seems he thinks he can do it.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle