The 49ers Have Reportedly Already Decided On Brock Purdy Over Trey Lance As Their QB Of The Future
Michael Zagaris. Getty Images."When the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys treat us to the latest installment of their epic postseason rivalry Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, all eyes will be on 23-year-old Brock Purdy. It’s the biggest game of the rookie quarterback’s life, and he must win to keep the Niners’ Super Bowl dreams alive.
"Whatever happens in this showdown between the Brock Star and the dudes with stars on their helmets, however, Purdy has already scored an improbable and hugely significant victory: In the perceived competition to be the 49ers’ starter in 2023 and beyond, it’s all over but the lying.
"You may hear protestations in the coming months that such a proclamation is premature, perhaps in an effort to drive up Trey Lance’s trade value. If so, don’t believe the noise. Purdy, even if he throws 12 interceptions Sunday, is the 49ers’ quarterback of the present and future."
To say Brock Purdy has blown everyone away in the San Francisco 49ers organization is an understatement. From Mr. Irrelevant to Mr. Right in Kyle Shanahan's eyes. Can you imagine finding your franchise quarterback with the LAST PICK in the draft after you spent two additional first-round picks to trade up for a guy the year prior? Goes to show how funny and fickle pro football is.
This report comes from Mike Silver, who's covered the NFL for decades plural. People hate on this guy, but when he puts out something like this, it's not bullshit for the sake of it. Two separate sources Silver spoke to confirmed Purdy has won out over Trey Lance and that no training camp or preseason derby pageantry will change that.
Although Purdy isn't quite the athlete Lance is, he has plenty of mobility and is basically a Jimmy Garoppolo-caliber of passer. Pretty damn good combination. I know people want to poke holes in Purdy's game. Remember that he's a fucking rookie, had a rocky first half to his first playoff start, and still threw for 332 yards!!
I defended Lance pretty hard entering the season. I have zero qualms with this decision by the Niners. Purdy is a stud and he, you know, actually plays football. Lance is so inexperienced and was a raw prospect to begin with that you can't in your right mind hitch your wagons to him. There's such a small body of work to hang your hat on, whereas Purdy came from Iowa State as a four-year starter, and is fully capitalizing on the embarrassment of offensive riches in San Francisco.
Expect the 49ers to seek out a trade partner for Lance. Dude must be dying to play at this point. Problem is, it'll be a $1.78 million loss against the cap if Lance gets traded before June 1. San Francisco could save $3.76 million by dealing him on the other side of that date.
Lance leaving the Niners would be far more interesting than staying on as QB2 with no promise of a starting gig going forward. As far as destinations go, I'd be most intrigued to see Lance either with the Bucs, Saints, or Falcons. Tampa needs some kind of post-Tom Brady plan, New Orleans has nothing to hang its hat on at the most important position, and Atlanta might only get, like, the fourth-best QB in this year's draft barring a move up. One wild card destination is the Vikings. Lance is from Minnesota and obviously Kirk Cousins is who he is.
It usually takes a QB at least until Year 2 in the Shanahan system to fully grasp it or to execute at such a high level. Someone forgot to tell Purdy, who seems to be light years ahead of Lance in that regard. The fact that Purdy even made the roster as the latest possible seventh-round pick is an achievement in and of itself. How crazy is it that he could've easily been relegated to the practice squad and gotten signed by another team?
Brock Purdy's emergence is seriously one of the best storylines I've ever seen in the NFL. Guess we should get used to him under center in San Francisco.
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