The San Francisco 49ers’ biggest obstacle to clear this offseason is figuring out their quarterback situation. Heading into the 2022 season, it seemed clear that Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was their franchise quarterback. San Francisco traded a ton of assets to move up and put them in a position to select him, so it only made sense.
Heading into Year 2, the team made it clear he was their starter. But, Lance didn’t even make it six quarters before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. The incumbent starter, Jimmy Garoppolo, stepped into the lineup and played well.
Alas, he also suffered an injury. The 49ers were then forced to turn to Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft, Brock Purdy, out of Iowa State. What ensued shocked everyone, even people within the organization.
Purdy not only kept the team’s winning streak alive that was started with Garoppolo, but he also thrived. Including the playoffs, the 49ers’ winning streak reached 12 games before it was ended in the NFC Championship Game by the Philadelphia Eagles.
A big reason that loss occurred was that the 49ers lost Purdy to an injury. His backup, Josh Johnson, didn’t last too long before suffering an injury himself, leaving them with a hampered Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey running the offense.
Purdy ended up suffering some damage in his elbow, which clouded his availability for the season. That prompted the team to sign Sam Darnold in free agency. But, in a recent update provided by general manager John Lynch, it sounds as if the starting job will be Purdy’s to lose.
That is a somewhat shocking admission by Lynch, especially this early in the offseason. The team is ruining any leverage that they may have had in trade talks centered around Lance, as franchises around the league now know that the 49ers view the former third-overall pick as their backup.
This could lead to some trade negotiations occurring with the 2023 NFL Draft only a few weeks away. If San Francisco is comfortable with Purdy as their starter and his diagnosis going forward, it would make sense to see what kind of value Lance has on the trade market.
