4 - Sam Darnold, QB/San Francisco 49ers
This may not be the most exciting name on the list, but someone like Sam Darnold would be a perfect backup quarterback to operate the Arizona Cardinals run-first offense that has become very tight end-friendly. While not a scrambler, Darnold has shown the ability to pick up yards on the ground, so he has some mobility that this offense will also require.
While the belief is that Clayton Tune is the undisputed backup quarterback at the moment, it’s also something the Cardinals would do better to rethink at this point. Tune could sidle into the role, but for the time being, the Cardinals should roll with a more established veteran there for at least 2024.
Darnold is one of a few potential unrestricted free agent quarterbacks the Cardinals could pursue as a backup. One major advantage they would have in signing Darnold is that he’s coming from a division rival playing for the NFC Championship, and that could give them some “insider information” from a primary source next season.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)