The San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback situation seems to be pretty much settled by now.
Niners GM John Lynch and HC Kyle Shanahan have made it loud and clear over and over that Brock Purdy is the undisputed starter, and things haven’t changed the slightest throughout the course of the offseason.
Purdy’s recovery process went right as scheduled and he’s had no setbacks thus far, and reports from training camp state that he’s gotten better in the offseason.
That’s why it’s far from a surprise to see that they plan to start Trey Lance vs. the Las Vegas Raiders in the preseason opener, while Sam Darnold will play in the second half and Purdy won’t play at all, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
#49ers coach Kyle Shanahan tells KNBR that QB Trey Lance will start Sunday vs the #Raiders in the preseason opener. Sam Darnold will play in the second half and Brock Purdy won’t play.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 12, 2023
It seems like Lance and Darnold will still have to go toe-to-toe to see who’s going to be Purdy’s backup.
Purdy was vastly impressive in the first handful of starts of his career, and what some thought was just a fluke ended up being just the beginning of what could be a very promising career.
Darnold signed with the Niners even knowing that Lance was already there, and that kind of competition could bring the best out of both of them.
Both have been quite underwhelming for the most part of their careers, but they’re still young, so there’s a chance they end up being serviceable backups at the very least, depending on who wins this competition for the No. 2 spot.
NEXT: 49ers QB Threw 3 INT Against Raiders In Joint Practice
