After Sam Darnold completed one of the most remarkable career turnarounds in league history, many fans have begun discussing who might be next to achieve a similar transformation. On Friday afternoon, NFL analyst Rich Eisen made a bold prediction about which quarterback could follow the Super Bowl champion’s path.
NFL Analyst Rich Eisen Tabs 67-TD QB as ‘Next Sam Darnold’ Candidate
On Monday, Eisen discussed the San Francisco 49ers quarterback room and whether he would make QB2, Mac Jones, available for trade. The analyst went into detail, first praising the 27-year-old pocket passer.
“Mac Jones, in my estimation, is the most likely candidate to be the next Sam Darnold of anybody else.”
He outlined Jones’ career trajectory, stating he was “chosen in the middle of the first round, had a nice first year… second year falls off… he needed to go to ‘Camp [Doug] Pederson’ down in Jacksonville, and now he’s in ‘Camp [Kyle] Shannahan.'”
Eisen then noted Jones’ performance in 2025, saying, “You saw what he looked like when he got the shot for a month… Brock Purdy was not available for some time this year, and Mac Jones kept the Niners afloat. They almost won the one-seed.”
This past season, Jones started eight games for the 49ers. He posted a 5-3 record while averaging 268.9 passing yards, 1.6 touchdowns, and 0.8 interceptions per game. Additionally, he recorded an 80.2 QB Impact Score, ranking No. 9 in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric.
Comparatively, Darnold appeared in all 17 regular-season contests for the Seahawks. He averaged 238.1 passing yards, 1.5 touchdowns, and the same 0.8 interceptions mark. Notably, Darnold finished his season as PFSN’s No. 13-ranked quarterback based on impact.
Throughout their careers, Darnold and Jones have followed a similar path. Both quarterbacks entered the league as first-round picks, struggled to find consistency early, and later showed improvement with more experience and stronger supporting casts.
The difference lies in the results. Darnold led Seattle to a Vince Lombardi Trophy and established himself as one of the league’s better quarterbacks during the team’s 2025-26 postseason run. Jones, meanwhile, has yet to win a playoff game and still needs to prove his talent over a larger sample size.
Assuming a contender trades for him this spring or signs him as a free agent in the 2027 offseason, the career 67-touchdown quarterback would land in a stable situation with the support necessary to succeed. If that opportunity comes sooner rather than later, Jones would have a legitimate chance to demonstrate he can follow in Darnold’s footsteps.
