The San Francisco 49ers have a bit of a quarterback conundrum on their hands. They expected Trey Lance to be their quarterback of the future when they selected him No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. After a year of sitting behind Jimmy Garoppolo, 2022 was his time to shine.
San Francisco revamped their entire game plan during the 2022 offseason. Lance and Garoppolo couldn’t be on more opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to their style of play. Lance is a dynamic athlete whose legs are his strongest asset, while Garoppolo is a pocket passer with limited mobility.
An injury to Lance in Week 2 forced the 49ers to change their course of action once again. Garoppolo started until he suffered an injury of his own, forcing Brock Purdy into the lineup. Purdy excelled and has since been named the leader in the clubhouse for the starting job.
But, Purdy suffered an injury of his own in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He suffered an elbow injury, which is clouding his availability for the start of the 2023 season. If the 49ers wanted to make a huge splash, there is one quarterback available that would make them unquestioned Super Bowl favorites.
Lamar Jackson remains in limbo with his future as the Baltimore Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the former MVP. Over at ESPN, Bill Barnwell suggested a trade that would land Jackson in the Bay Area and provide the 49ers with their franchise quarterback.
There are certainly some logistics that make this deal highly unlikely. Having a quarterback on a rookie deal, which the 49ers have two of, is the best value in the NFL. Would the 49ers really want to move on from that to add Jackson, while supremely talented, which would cost a ton of money?
Compensation could also be complicated. Under the non-exclusive tag, anyone that signs Jackson to an offer sheet would have to give the Ravens two first-round picks should they opt not to match. But, the teams could get creative and have Jackson be the centerpiece of a tag-and-trade deal.
What could that kind of deal between the 49ers and the Ravens look like? The 49ers could send Lance, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for Jackson.
The Ravens’ rebuild would be on, but they’d have the pieces in place to turn things around quickly. Lance would fit in the same offense they have built around Jackson and he would have some solid talent around him.
Wide receiver has been a weak spot for years but Aiyuk would join Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. in a revamped group of pass catchers. The extra draft capital never hurts as well either as trade sweeteners or a way to upgrade the roster
For the 49ers, watching Jackson operate as the starting quarterback in an offense with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle would produce video game-type results. With Kyle Shanahan’s ability to call a game, the 49ers would be unstoppable.
Given how expensive it would be based on the package to acquire Jackson and the contract he will demand, the likelihood of a trade between the teams occurring is very low. But, there is no doubt Jackson would be a great fit in San Francisco given his skill set and the offense Shanahan has implemented.
