Sam Darnold’s one-year deal has a base value of $4.5 million; including $3.5 million guaranteed

The 49ers added a third quarterback to their roster Monday by signing the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Sam Darnold. Darnold’s one-year deal has a base value of $4.5 million, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, and includes $3.5 million guaranteed.

Here’s how the Niners quarterback room looks from a salary cap perspective for 2023:

Trey Lance

$940K salary, $9.3 million cap hit

Brock Purdy

$870K salary, $889K cap hit

Sam Darnold

$4.5M ($3.5M guaranteed)

So, the 49ers are under $15 million in cap spending at quarterback in 2023. That explains how they’re able to pay Javon Hargrave, and why San Francisco may not be done spending.

According to Nick Korte from Over the Cap, Darnold’s deal cancels the 6th round 2024 compensatory pick from the 49ers chart. However, the program doesn’t acknowledge the likelihood of Darnold not playing 65.3 percent of the snaps, his career average, next year.

Korte added if Darnold doesn’t play at all, then his contract instead only cancels a 7th rounder. So, from a comp pick perspective, the less Darnold sees the field, the move valuable comp pick the 49ers will receive next year.