The No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft is now No. 3 on the San Francisco 49ers' depth chart at quarterback.
Sam Darnold has been named the 49ers' backup QB ahead of Trey Lance in the battle of former third overall draft picks.
Kyle Shanahan's decision to go with Darnold as Brock Purdy's backup was reported by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media on Wednesday.
Lance's future in San Francisco is now uncertain, as the 49ers are reportedly exploring various options with the QB they drafted just over two years ago.
San Francisco paid a hefty price to draft Lance, trading three first-round picks and a third-rounder to the Miami Dolphin in 2021 to move up from No. 12 to select Lance after the Jacksonville Jaguars made Trevor Lawrence the top overall selection and the New York Jets picked Zach Wilson.
As Jimmy Garoppolo's backup in 2021, Lance appeared in six games as a rookie before being named the 49ers' starting quarterback for 2022, but he suffered a season-ending fractured right ankle in Week 2.
In eight career games, he's completed 54.9 per cent of his passes for 797 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions for an 84.5 QB rating. He has also rushed for 235 yards with a score.
He got the start in the preseason opener, and completed 22-of-33 passes for 285 yards with two touchdowns and a pick while being sacked four times in two exhibition games.
Darnold started the second preseason game, and has completed 16-of-22 passes for 193 yards while being sacked twice in two games.
The 49ers acquired Darnold in March to add depth at quarterback behind Purdy, who famously suffered a torn elbow ligament on the first offensive series for the 49ers in the 2022 NFC championship game.
Purdy, the final pick in last year's draft, won all five of his starts in the 2022 regular season after taking over for an injured Garoppolo in Week 13 to lift the 49ers to a 13-4 record and the second seed in the NFC. He has been cleared to start the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 10.
Darnold was the third overall pick of the 2018 draft by the New York Jets, and hasn't enjoyed much success in his five NFL seasons.
He did put together some encouraging performances last year with the Carolina Panthers, however, throwing for 1,143 yards with seven TDs and three interceptions for a 92.6 passer rating while going 4-2 as a starter.
In 56 career games, he has completed 59.7 per cent of his passes for 11,767 yards with 61 touchdowns and 55 picks.
Since his rookie season, his 78.2 passer rating ranks last among the 42 quarterbacks with a minimum of 750 attempts.
Giants releasing embattled quarterback Daniel Jones
The Daniel Jones era in New York has officially ended.
The Giants agreed to Jones’ request to be released Friday morning, ending a rocky partnership that lasted nearly six seasons.
Giants president John Mara said in a statement that Jones’ release “would be best for him and for the team.”
“Daniel has been a great representative of our organisation, first class in every way,” Mara said in the statement. “His handling of this situation yesterday exemplifies just that. We are all disappointed in how things have worked out.”
The Giants benched Jones in favour of Tommy DeVito during their bye week. On Thursday, Jones told reporters he takes “full responsibility” for not winning more as the captain of one of the NFL’s signature franchises.
After learning of his new role, however, Jones asked the team to be released.
Jones signed a four-year, $160million contract extension before the 2023 season. Jones will go through the waivers process, but teams are likely unwilling to pay the rest of that contract. If he clears waivers, he will become an unrestricted free agent.
The Giants will absorb a salary cap hit of around $20million by releasing Jones.
Jones was the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft and has started 69 games over the last six seasons.
The former Duke quarterback had his best season in a contract year in 2022, throwing 15 touchdowns to just five interceptions and adding 708 yards and seven scores on the ground.
Jones has thrown eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions this season for the 2-8 Giants and ranks 32nd among qualified quarterbacks with a 79.4 passer rating.
Browns score late touchdown to end Steelers' streak in snowy contest
Nick Chubb ran for a 2-yard touchdown in heavy snow with 57 seconds left, and the Cleveland Browns stunned division rival Pittsburgh 24-19 on Thursday night, ending the Steelers' five-game winning streak.
Chubb's score came in his first game against the AFC North-leading Steelers (8-3) since the running back sustained a season-ending left knee injury on a carry last year at Pittsburgh.
The Browns (3-8) had blown a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter and were down 19-18 before getting the ball back with 3:22 remaining after Pittsburgh punter Corliss Waitman shanked a 16-yarder.
With snow piling up and covering the yard lines on the field, Cleveland's Jameis Winston completed a third-down pass to Jerry Jeudy to the Pittsburgh 9. Two plays later, Chubb barrelled into the end zone.
The Steelers had one last chance, but quarterback Russell Wilson's Hail Mary on the final play was knocked down by Browns safety Grant Delpit in the end zone, touching off a wild celebration at Huntington Bank Field.
NFL: Texans bounce back, extend Cowboys' woes
Joe Mixon's 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns helped get the Houston Texans back on track with Monday's 34-10 win over the floundering Dallas Cowboys.
Houston (7-4) snapped a two-game losing streak behind Mixon's powerful running and a defence that sacked Cowboys' fill-in quarterback Cooper Rush five times and forced two turnovers, including a fumble Derek Barnett returned 28 yards for a touchdown that gave the Texans a 27-10 lead in the fourth quarter.
Dallas (3-7) has now lost five straight, its longest skid since dropping seven in a row in 2015, and fell to 0-5 at home. The Cowboys have been outscored by 118 points (187-69) at AT&T Stadium, the third-largest negative differential through five home games in a season in NFL history.
Rush did throw a 64-yard touchdown pass to KaVontae Turpin in his second straight start subbing for an injured Dak Prescott, and finished with a career-high 354 passing yards with one interception while completing 32 of 55 attempts.
C.J. Stroud threw for 257 yards with an interception for Houston, which extended its lead over the second-place Indianapolis Colts to two games in the AFC South.
The Texans never trailed after Mixon ripped off a 45-yard touchdown run on the game's opening drive, and the veteran running back added a 1-yard scoring plunge late in the first quarter to give Houston a 14-0 lead.
Turpin got Dallas on the board by taking a short pass from Rush and breaking free from the Houston defence nine seconds into the second quarter, but the Cowboys were shut out in the second half after pulling to within 17-10 on Brandon Aubrey's 53-yard field goal with just under six minutes left before half-time.
Burnett's strip sack of Rush and return of the resulting fumble helped put the game away with 12:31 left, and Mixon tacked on his final touchdown of the night with 3:16 remaining to cap a 35-yard drive that began after the Texans stopped the Cowboys on downs.
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