One of the burning questions, if not the biggest question, surrounding the San Francisco 49ers regarding next season is who will start at quarterback.
Brock Purdy did very well after filling in for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo starting in Week 13, but he was a rookie and the last player taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, so naturally, some will still question whether he’s the real deal.
Garoppolo appears to be on his way out, and Trey Lance, the third pick in the 2021 draft, still appears to have some potential to become a good QB.
George Kittle, the 49ers’ star tight end, said that the QB1 spot is Purdy’s to lose.
“It’s Brock’s job to lose” – George Kittle on the 49ers’ QB situation pic.twitter.com/6x5Mwf5txZ
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 9, 2023
After Garoppolo suffered his foot injury, Purdy had 1,308 passing yards on a 68.3 percent completion rate, 13 passing touchdowns and an outstanding 112.0 passer rating the rest of the regular season.
He also did well, if not spectacularly, in San Francisco’s first two playoff games, which were victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.
But in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, fortune turned sharply against Purdy and the 49ers.
He tore the UCL in his elbow early in the contest, and shortly afterward, his backup, Josh Johnson, sustained a concussion, forcing Purdy to return despite barely being able to throw the football.
As a result, the Niners had no shot, and they got routed 31-7.
Purdy is set to undergo surgery on his injured elbow, and he is expected to be out for six months, which should allow him to take part in at least some of training camp this summer.
The question is whether that will give Lance an opening to perhaps compete for the starting job in Week 1, or if head coach Kyle Shanahan will stick with Purdy.