49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Gushes Over Vikings QB Sam Darnold

Kyle Shanahan loves Sam Darnold.

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) drops back to pass against the New York Giants during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

SANTA CLARA -- Kyle Shanahan loves Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.

Shanahan once compared him to Steve Young -- that's how highly Shanahan thinks of the former 49ers backup quarterback. Now Darnold is the Vikings starting quarterback and the 49ers will face him on Sunday in Minnesota.

Here's what Shanahan said Wednesday about Darnold courtesy of the 49ers p.r. department.

Q: You had Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold last year for the year. What did you see from him when you had him here? And what have you seen recently?

SHANAHAN: “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 NFL and was exactly as good as advertised. He's such a good athlete, so tough, can make any throw. And really enjoyed working with him. I thought he got better throughout the year. He was always ready to get more opportunities in the games if something bad happened. Fortunately for [QB] Brock [Purdy] we didn't have to do that till the last week. But it was really good having him here as a number two.”

Q: Did you see Sam, last year, get better every week even though he wasn't playing?

SHANAHAN: “Yeah, I did. I think just, Sam had been in a lot of different offenses and a few different teams and stuff. I think just the more, he always could make plays and stuff, but the more he got used to what we were asking and it's hard when you ask some people to do stuff that they haven't done before, because sometimes you’ve got to get worse before you get better. But Sam came in with such a good mindset. He was so detailed in what he did, really never wavered and really tried to pick stuff up. I thought he came in really good and I thought he got better throughout the year.”

Q: When you saw that he'd signed with the Vikings and going to Kevin, was your first reaction, “Oh that's a good spot for him?”

SHANAHAN: “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.”

Q: How much have you studied the Vikings offense and what kind of stands out to you about the way Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is doing it over there?

SHANAHAN: “They have one game from this year, but it's, going off of last year and this game, it’s similar how the Rams were. Kevin does a real good job just balancing out his drop-back game with his play-action and his keepers. They mix in tempo and hurry up at all times. You have to constantly be ready for that. Sometimes they're just going fast. Sometimes they're making a lot of checks at line of scrimmages. But it's a very good offense, player friendly, gives his guys a bunch of chances to make plays and got a lot of respect for what he's done there.”

Q: What makes WR Justin Jefferson the best wide receiver?

SHANAHAN: “He’s, the way he can cut with his speed. There's not an angle he can't really run at, at full speed and drop his weight. He's also fearless in how he plays, his hands are as good as anyone. I don't know him personally, but from what I've heard people who have been with him, they say, I've heard he’s one of the smartest players that people I know say they've been with. He's the full package.”