The San Francisco 49ers have a championship-caliber squad, but the one burning question surrounding them — and it’s a huge one — is who will start at quarterback this fall.
After Trey Lance, their original starter in 2022, and Jimmy Garoppolo both went down with injuries, Brock Purdy, the last player taken in last year’s draft, filled in the rest of the way and did very well.
But he is about to have surgery on a torn UCL in his throwing elbow, and there is some uncertainty about his status for training camp and the 2023 season.
That could open up an opportunity for Lance, who the 49ers gave up a lot of draft capital for two years ago.
Former wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson feels Lance should be the starter under center regardless of Purdy’s status.
.@keyshawn is all in on Trey Lance being San Francisco’s QB1 next season 👀
“I don’t believe that Trey Lance is in the fight of his life to start for the San Francisco 49ers if he stays healthy.” pic.twitter.com/a1d8vGbWMw
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 22, 2023
There is no doubt that Lance has potential, but it is hard to gauge exactly what he will be since he hasn’t played a lot of organized football.
He played just over one season of college football at North Dakota State University, as his junior season was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and he has played just eight games in two NFL seasons, four as a starter.
Still, he has shown his ability to accurately throw the deep ball, and of course, he is an excellent running threat.
Purdy has shown tremendous poise for a rookie, as well as some outstanding throwing accuracy himself, as well as the ability to escape the pocket and connect on passes while on the run.
As long as San Francisco has a high-level player under center, they have to be considered one of the frontrunners for the Vince Lombardi Trophy next season.
NEXT:
NFL Insider Gives An Update On Brock Purdy’s Injury
