NFL.com prediction: Sam Darnold-led 49ers beat Jets in Super Bowl

“He was able to get such a better base in these last two months that I think Trey is the best that we’ve (seen) him right now,” Shanahan said earlier this month, per NBC Sports Bay Area. “Yeah, we got to get into OTAs and practice, but when you watch his feet, his timing, how he’s throwing the ball, he’s in such a better place now than he was last year at this time.”

Purdy started some limited throwing this week, and the 49ers are “incredibly encouraged” by his progress. He will ramp up his workload in the coming months, attempting to return from the March 10 surgery to repair the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. The 49ers hope Purdy can return some time during training camp and be ready for the start of the 2023 regular season.

“Is there a chance Purdy eventually is good to go and retakes the reins? Sure,” Schein wrote. “But at the outset of summer, Darnold’s in the catbird seat. And I still believe he has the natural talent to take advantage of an enviable situation.”

Schein admits to being a Darnold fan, acknowledging that the veteran quarterback has been dealt a raw deal in his previous NFL stops with the Jets and Carolina Panthers. The 49ers undoubtedly own the most talented roster of which Darnold has been a part.

“I always wanted to see what Darnold could do with better support,” Schein wrote. “Now he’s under the watchful eye of offensive genius Kyle Shanahan, flanked by immense talent on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the 49ers boast an assortment of playmakers at running back, receiver and tight end, as well as a stout O-line.

“Defensively, San Francisco just finished first in points and yards allowed. I think Darnold has a real chance to take this opportunity and run with it. Therefore, there’s a realistic chance I ultimately pick the Niners to win the whole damn thing with my official predictions in September.”

As for the Jets, the team that drafted Darnold in 2018, Schein can see the team turning things around with Rodgers now at the helm of the offense.

“The Jets have an all-time quarterback, explosive weaponry and a top-five defense,” Schein wrote. “It’s not hard to envision a magical season reaching into February.”