While Brock Purdy continues to recover from surgery on a torn UCL in his throwing elbow, Trey Lance is splitting first-string quarterback duties with Sam Darnold for the San Francisco 49ers during OTAs.
Lance has apparently put in work in recent months, improving his throwing mechanics and throwing a tighter spiral, and perhaps there is always a chance he could end up winning back the starting QB job he was given prior to last season.
His starting gig didn’t even last a full two weeks, as he suffered a severe ankle injury early in Week 2 and was out for the balance of the schedule.
But 49ers quarterbacks coach Brian Griese gave Lance lots of praise for how he has handled himself ever since going down with his ankle injury, per David Lombardi.
49ers QB coach Brian Griese on Trey Lance:
"I'm so proud of Trey, because it did get him down, but he didn't let it keep him down. He came back, he was around the team — he impacted this team in a positive way. I could feel in the quarterback room. I know Brock could feel it. I…
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) June 2, 2023
When Lance went down, veteran Jimmy Garoppolo regained his QB1 spot, only to injure his foot in Week 13, which summoned Purdy, the last player taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, to take over under center.
Most expect Purdy to remain the starter once he makes a full recovery, but perhaps it isn’t a certainty.
In fact, there have been a few pundits who have said they feel Darnold, a free agent addition, will walk away with the starting gig when it’s all said and done.
Other than their continuing quarterback controversy, the 49ers have an outstanding roster, and some may argue that with a capable quarterback, whether it’s Lance, Purdy, or even Darnold, they have the best team in the NFC or even the entire league.
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