3 veteran quarterbacks SF 49ers can trade for in 2021

SF 49ers Trade Target No. 2: Sam Darnold, NY Jets

This is more of an interesting possibility than a realistic one, but it’s not out of the question to see the SF 49ers pursue NY Jets quarterback Sam Darnold this offseason.

The Jets own the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and there’s a good chance they nab a future signal-caller in a top-heavy quarterback class to completely shake up the franchise under the new coaching regime.

That, of course, would mean Darnold would be on his way out, and the Niners likely wouldn’t have to give up too much for a player largely labeled a bust after being selected No. 3 overall by New York back in 2018. True, while Darnold has struggled, he hasn’t exactly had the benefit of playing within a talented offense, and his last two years under former head coach Adam Gase didn’t particularly help the quarterback’s development either.

For those doubting any possibility, San Francisco is still listed as a possible trade destination by Odds Shark:

That’s substantial enough.

What makes this a bit more enticing from the SF 49ers’ perspective is Darnold is still on his rookie contract through 2021 at a total potential cap hit of $9.79 million with a fifth-year option yet to be determined.

Darnold will certainly be a reclamation project, which somewhat stands in contrast to the idea the Niners are ready to win now and probably won’t want to wait for him to become a franchise-caliber starter.

But if there’s a context in which Darnold could thrive, San Francisco would be it.