KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sam Darnold certainly didn’t take a linear path to this year’s Super Bowl, although he was quick to remind the room Sunday night that he’s been there before.
Most don’t remember because he wasn’t the 49ers’ starter in 2023, but he did help San Francisco earn a berth opposite the Chiefs in an overtime Super Bowl thriller two years ago. And although he was only Brock Purdy’s backup, that season with Kyle Shanahan rejuvenated Darnold’s career.
Instant success in Kansas City
In 2013, Andy Reid did something similar for Alex Smith in Kansas City. Reid and Smith won their first nine games that year and finished in the playoffs. And that’s one reason why Smith earned the No. 5 spot on Mike Greenberg’s top-five quarterback career resurrections.
“How many times have you heard people say the words, ‘Alex Smith is a bust’?” Greenberg asked on Tuesday morning’s edition of Get Up. “In San Francisco, he was 19-31 in his first six years, missed an entire season with injury, and then came back roaring. Went 13 and three and 2011 and won a playoff game.
“Went to Kansas City, won 50 games there in five years, one of the original resurrection stories.”
Indeed, Smith went 50-26 as the Chiefs’ regular-season starter from 2013-17, including Patrick Mahomes’ 2017 rookie season. He landed on a Reid staff that included Doug Pederson, Eric Bieniemy and Matt Nagy.
Smith, the No. 1-overall selection in the 2005 NFL draft (when Aaron Rodgers slid to the Packers at No. 24), guided the Chiefs to four playoff berths in five years. He joined Kurt Warner, Drew Brees, Steve Young and Jim Plunkett on Greenberg’s all-time list.
Darnold 2.0
And as soon as this offseason, the Chiefs could put a quarterback on a path similar to the one Darnold just navigated.
Zach Wilson, who ironically replaced Darnold as the Jets’ starting quarterback, could be that man. While New York drafted Darnold third overall in 2018, the Jets took Wilson at No. 2 overall in 2021. Wilson would look great with Chiefs logo on his helmet, especially if he needs to start and win early season games.
Mahomes backups have gone only 2-8 in starts with him on the sideline.
Wilson spent 2024 in Denver with Sean Payton, Bo Nix and the Broncos. In March, he signed a one-year contract as an unrestricted free agent with Miami. He’d likely be open to a similar deal to learn from Reid and Mahomes in Kansas City.
And other than Mahomes, the Chiefs have just one quarterback currently under contract to take them through an offseason while Mahomes rehabs his surgically repaired knee. Prior to the end of the 2025 season, Kansas City signed Chris Oladokun to a new contract through 2026.
