The one question surrounding the San Francisco 49ers is who will start at quarterback when Week 1 of the 2023 season arrives.
Their incumbent starter, Brock Purdy, is recovering from a torn UCL in his throwing elbow, and he could be on track to be ready for Week 1.
But if he isn’t, the starter under center for the start of the season will have to be either Trey Lance, who began 2022 as their starter, or free-agent signing Sam Darnold.
Some have felt that regardless, Lance or even Darnold should be the permanent starter at QB for San Francisco.
But David Lombardi of The Athletic feels the team and its fans should let things play out organically rather than prematurely projecting one man to be the starter.
Training camp hasn’t even started yet but people are talking about the 49ers’ QB situation as if we’re 3 weeks in. This situation will play out organically when practices actually happen and the majority of forced takes coming out right now in late June likely won’t look too good…
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) June 27, 2023
Purdy, the last player chosen in the 2022 NFL Draft, started last season third on the depth chart, but injuries to Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo forced him into a starting role in Week 13, and he did a magnificent job from that point on.
Lance is going into his third season, and although he hasn’t played much thus far, he has shown some brief flashes of promise.
Darnold, on the other hand, has been a perpetual disappointment ever since he was the No. 3 pick in the 2018 draft, and he has completed just 59.7 percent of his passes while throwing nearly as many interceptions (55) as touchdown passes (61) in his pro career.
If the 49ers simply sort out their quarterback situation and get Pro Bowl-level production there, they could be headed toward their sixth Super Bowl championship this winter.
NEXT: 49ers Insider Offers A Hopeful Brock Purdy Timeline
