NFL Rumors: 49ers quarterback roulette, Mahomes’ fiery hot take, Rams over Seahawks?
By Kristen Wong
NFL Rumors: Brock Purdy far from a sure starter, Trey Lance still in the mix
Amid reports of Brock Purdy progressing well in his recovery from elbow surgery earlier this offseason, there’s a new rumor going around the Bay Area.
Apparently, the San Francisco 49ers haven’t “soured” on 2021 third-overall pick Trey Lance despite recent speculation over his potential trade.
Lance has danced between the lines of being the 49ers’ go-to starter to being a third-string emergency fire extinguisher, his stock dropping lowest in late June when Adam Schefter said that he believes Purdy is No. 1 and Sam Darnold is No. 2 on the depth chart.
According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, however, the backup quarterback job in San Francisco is still very much up in the air.
"“I don’t think the 49ers have enough information to tell you who is in line to be the backup. I dispute the notion that the 49ers have soured on Trey Lance. I think they like him now more than they ever have since they’ve had him with the 49ers, but they just don’t know how he would perform.”"
Lance, who missed the majority of the 2022 season due to a broken ankle, has less experience than Darnold, who’s played 56 games in the last five years. Yet Darnold’s history (crash and burn in New York, vote of no confidence in Carolina) could instead work against his favor compared to someone with a clean slate, like Lance. Darnold only registered one season with a pass completion rate above 60 percent — are the 49ers really going to put their win-now championship hopes in his wobbly hands?
In reality, either Darnold or Lance could feasibly leapfrog into the backup role by the offseason’s end depending on their preseason performances. If there’s a winner already called out of all of this, it’s the 49ers for having two decent and healthy options behind Purdy. No more reliving that NFC Championship nightmare again.