The 49ers plan a three-way quarterback competition this season, but not all three quarterbacks are starting on equal footing — at least not if Brock Purdy is healthy.
That’s the word from 49ers General Manager John Lynch, who said today that Purdy, who led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie, will enter training camp as the favorite to become the starting quarterback if he’s fully healthy.
Lynch referred to Purdy as “the leader in the clubhouse” and said that the 49ers are optimistic that Purdy’s elbow surgery was successful enough that he’ll be able to practice when training camp starts.
“Our hope is he’s ready to go for training camp,” Lynch said, via David Lombardi of TheAthletic.com.
Trey Lance, the quarterback the 49ers spent three first-round picks on, will also compete for the starting job. Lance is coming off an injury of his own but should be good to go for the offseason.
And Sam Darnold, who signed with the 49ers in free agency, will also have the opportunity to earn the starting job.
If Purdy hadn’t suffered an elbow injury in the NFC Championship Game, there would be little doubt that he would have the starting job in 2023. But his injury opens the door to both Lance and Darnold and makes the 49ers’ three-way quarterback competition one of the big stories of NFL training camps in 2023.