Sam Darnold Explains Why He Signed with the 49ers

"There are some unknowns with Brock's injury and Trey coming back."

Sam Darnold had his introductory press conference with the 49ers on Thursday. Here's what he said about his decision to sign as a third-string quarterback.

Q: Why did you sign here to be a third-string quarterback?

DARNOLD: Being in a really good organization was a priority for me. Being with really good coaches and really good personnel as well. Those were the top things for me. Very happy to be here, but understand that I've got to continue to work.

Q: How big of a factor was QB coach Brian Griese when you made your decision?

DARNOLD: The way that you saw Trey, Jimmy and then at the end of the year Brock, they played with a lot of confidence and they played fast. That's something I was very interested in. Being able to talk with Brian about that was very eye opening.

Q: Is Kyle Shanahan's offensive system attractive to you?

DARNOLD: Absolutely. Just to have an understanding of what it takes to play quarterback in this system, I understand there's a lot of different checks, shifts, motions, formations, all those things. Very excited about the opportunity to do that.

Q: What clicked for you the last six games of last season?

DARNOLD: For me, it was just playing within myself. That was the biggest thing. It was just playing patient. That was the biggest difference for me -- not forcing things when they're not there. When you turn the ball over and force the ball in there, you can't have a chance late in the game. I was just staying within myself and staying patient.

Q: What will your role be?

DARNOLD: For me, it's doing everything that I can to understand the offense. I know I have my work cut out for me when it comes to that. That's my focus right now, doing whatever I can to help this team win games when it comes time to do that, whether that's me being the backup or starting. That's my mindset.

Q: What is Kyle Shanahan's plan for you?

DARNOLD: There are some unknowns with Brock's injury and Trey coming back. With a good quarterback room, as long as we stick together, everything is going to work out. As long as we're winning games, that's the only thing that matters. As a competitor, you want to play, but you have to do what's right for the team. And you leave those decisions up to Kyle, and we know that he's going to put the best guy out there and do the right thing.

Q: It sounds like you've been told if you prove you're the best quarterback on the roster, you'll start? Is that accurate?

DARNOLD: No. For me, it's doing everything that I can to learn the playbook, because it's early. I have to digest everything and have conversations with Coach Griese about formations, motions -- there are so many different things that go into it. The last thing I'm worried about right now is play time.