Rams vs. 49ers in Week 18 will come down to Carson Wentz against Sam Darnold, just as we all expected.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday that Brock Purdy will not play in the finale against the Rams and Darnold will get the start in his place. San Francisco has already locked up a first-round bye so Shanahan is taking a cautious approach by resting Purdy.
The Rams are guaranteed to be the No. 6 or 7 seed in the NFC so they’re giving Matthew Stafford the week off, too, opting to go with Wentz as their starter. If the Rams win, they will be the No. 6 seed, but they will drop to No. 7 with a loss and Packers win.
Darnold hasn’t started a game for the 49ers this season but he has attempted 20 passes in relief of Purdy, completing 12 of them for 108 yards and a touchdown with one interception.
Kyle Shanahan says QB Sam Darnold will start the Week 18 regular season finale vs the Rams.
— Clayton Holloway (@HollowayNFLN) January 3, 2024