New 49ers coordinator Steve Wilks should attract these 5 free agents
By Peter Panacy
NFL free agency: Steve Wilks can bring quarterback Sam Darnold to 49ers
OK, two things, the first of which is sticking with one more offensive player.
The other? Don’t laugh at the idea of quarterback Sam Darnold coming over to the 49ers in NFL free agency. Especially when considering that Darnold drew a lot of attention from the Niners back early in the 2021 offseason.
Of course, Darnold’s career hasn’t taken off in any way he would have preferred, including last year’s term with Carolina alongside fellow quarterback Baker Mayfield.
However, Steve Wilks turned to Darnold as the Panthers’ starter over the final six weeks of the season, and that’s when Carolina was arguably playing its best football.
The Niners, meanwhile, are prepared to bid farewell to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency and have two young bodies in the quarterbacking room, Trey Lance and Brock Purdy, who are both coming off serious injuries suffered on both bookends of last season.
Assuming Kyle Shanahan would want an older veteran in the room to at least guard against injuries, Darnold could easily be back on San Francisco’s radar.
Especially if Wilks is there.