SANTA CLARA — Inside the 49ers’ joyous locker room Sunday, some players wondered aloud if they’d get still paid for the wild-card round, which they’ll bypass as the No. 1 seed. The answer: Yes, $45,500 apiece.
When one player posed that question to sixth-year veteran Sam Darnold, however, a teammate interrupted and teased how Darnold wouldn’t know the answer, because he’s never gone to the playoffs.
Well, Darnold is going now, in his first year with the 49ers as their backup. Because the 49ers are locked into the NFC playoffs’ top spot, they will stash Brock Purdy for the playoffs and instead start Darnold in Sunday’s regular-season finale. He’ll oppose a playoff-bound Los Angeles Rams team that will start Carson Wentz over Matthew Stafford.
“I’m just excited to keep playing more football, man,” Darnold said. “Week 18 isn’t the last week of football we’re going to be playing here. That’s always a good feeling, whenever you can go into the postseason.”
Darnold can use Sunday’s action to not only prepare for emergency duty — should Purdy get injured like last NFC Championship Game — but also showcase himself for free agency. Even though 61 quarterbacks have started an NFL game this season, Darnold is not among them, and he harbors “zero regrets” about joining the 49ers on a one-year, $4.5 million deal.
“He’s a very selfless guy,” Purdy said. “That dude is for the room and this organization. I’m very thankful to have him.”
After beating out Trey Lance for the No. 2 gig before the season, Darnold has served as a veteran sounding board and insurance behind Purdy’s Pro Bowl season (franchise-record 4,280 yards). That changes Sunday.
“Whenever you get an opportunity to go play football — not on the scout team — and feel the live bullets, and people chasing you, and trying to get after you, there’s nothing like real football when you’re back there as a quarterback,” Darnold said. “I don’t want to go in there (as an injury replacement). I want to Brock to stay healthy and help this team win. But if I do need to go in there, I’ll do my best.”
Darnold hasn’t been a quiet observer. “He brings up little things that are huge for me as a quarterback,” Purdy said.
Purdy cited how Darnold’s tips can come on the eve of games in quarterback meetings, and also from their tablet-video review on the bench during games. Tight end George Kittle said it was “fun” to see Darnold “quiz” Purdy during warmups before Sunday’s win in Washington.
Meanwhile, Purdy is continuing to practice this week, while Darnold is getting a chunk of first-team reps for the first time since camp.
“It’s a little weird in that sense. We’re doing what’s best for the team and the organization,” Purdy said. “I’ve always got to remember that and have that in mind. Just the competitor in me, obviously I want to play and compete all the time. But that’s the case and the situation we’re in.”
Darnold’s game duty has been limited to 20 passes, with 17 coming in last month’s games against Arizona and Baltimore after Purdy exited with nerve stingers in his left shoulder. Overall, Darnold is 12-of-20 for 108 yards with a touchdown and interception.
“Sam throws an excellent ball. It’s got a lot of heat on it,” Kittle added. “I’ve stayed after practice to get used to it.”
Darnold, 26, figures to join his fourth NFL team next spring, to fill a starting job or compete for it, and he’ll do so with in-depth knowledge of Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, one that Darnold praised for having “answers to everything the defense does.” Darnold is 21-34 as a career starter, going 13-25 with the New York Jets as their 2018 No. 3 overall pick, then 8-9 with the 2021-22 Carolina Panthers.
This season, Darnold has finished off eight wins by taking a knee in the victory formation. His last postseason action: 2017, when USC beat Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game here at Levi’s Stadium, before the Trojans went on to lose in the Cotton Bowl to Ohio State.
PURDY ON PRO BOWL
Purdy said he was very thankful for those who voted him to not only his first Pro Bowl accolades, but the NFC’s designated starting role as well as the No. 1 spot in overall fan voting. “It’s cool, sort of, this last year, how crazy it’s been,” Purdy said. “Then to see that and the support from everybody, watching all of it, the whole story, in the last year, it’s been a blessing.”
HEALTH UPDATES
Still out of practice were running back Christian McCaffrey (calf), defensive tackle Arik Armstead (foot, knee), safety Ji’Ayir Brown (knee), safety Tashaun Gipson (quadriceps), cornerback Ambry Thomas (hand) and tight end Ross Dwelley (ankle). Limited were wide receiver Jauan Jennings (concussion), running back Elijah Mitchell (illness) and guard Jon Feliciano (back). Offensive tackle Jaylon Moore (concussion) was back in full action, as were return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud (rib), guard Aaron Banks (toe) and wide receiver Danny Gray (shoulder).
MOONEY IN THE MIRROR
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks believes first-time Pro Bowler Charvarius Ward is playing better than any cornerback in the NFL, and his influence goes beyond five interceptions or his excellent tackling. Ward recently addressed the team, at coach Kyle Shanahan’s request, and issued this message: Continue to compete against the man in the mirror. “That’s what he’s been doing all year,” Wilks said. “He’s been competing against himself, trying to get better every day, and that’s showed up and paid off for him.”
PRO BOWL FALLOUT
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To his teammates’ dismay, Brandon Aiyuk’s career-best 1,317 yards and NFL-high average of 18.3 yards per catch did not land him a spot among the NFC’s four Pro Bowl wide receivers. “AIyuk’s had a fantastic year,” Kittle said. “He might not have the most yards, but he is over 1,300 yards, he has seven touchdowns on 50 less targets than anyone else. That speaks volumes.”
Kittle, in turn, is the first 49ers’ tight end to earn five Pro Bowl nods, to which he said: “It is fun. The longer you play somewhere, you have more opportunities to do cool things. The fact I get to play for an awesome franchise, it’s very humbling.”
PLAYERS VOTE FOR WILKS
Wilks, in his first season with the 49ers, was ranked as the NFL’s second-best defensive coordinator, according to an NFL Players Association online survey of 774 defensive players between Aug. 28 and Nov. 16. Wilks’ stock seemed to rise after the Nov. 5 bye when he moved from the coaches’ booth to the sideline as the 49ers’ defense led the way out of a three-game slide. The Detroit Lions’ Aaron Glenn took top honors in the NFLPA’s top-five defensive coordinator rankings, followed by Wilks, Dan Quinn (Cowboys), Brian Flores (Vikings) and Raheem Morris (Rams).
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