The 49ers Quarterback Decision Isn't About Trey Lance
The San Franciso 49ers have officially announced former "Mr. Irrelevant" Brock Purdy as the starting quarterback for week one. After drafting Trey Lance with the third overall pick in last year's draft and signing Sam Darnold this offseason, San Francisco is sticking with their seventh-round pick.
Brock Purdy v. Trey Lance
After leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship in what seemed to be an interim role, Purdy showed that he's capable of being a competent NFL quarterback. An injury in that game against the Eagles led to an unfortunate ending to the Niners season. Despite that, Purdy earned himself a lot of money in those few games.
On the flip side, Lance was seen as a franchise quarterback when general manager John Lynch sent three first-round picks to trade up to draft him. The North Dakota State product had little tape to show for in college, but the 49ers saw the upside. Lance was expected to unlock Kyle Shanahan's coveted offensive scheme.
After a monsoon game against the Bears that looked ugly, Lance broke his leg in week two against the Seahawks. Jimmy Garoppolo stepped into that game and took the reigns. Garoppolo brought stability to a tough reality... until he didn't. He struggled at times and eventually got badly injured in a game against the Dolphins in week 12. In came the third-string quarterback Purdy. He lit it up immediately. Purdy wasn't asked to make tight-window throws or put the team on his back. He ran the offense perfectly and won his first seven starts (including the playoffs). The 49ers came up short of a Super Bowl appearance, but they were led by a confident rookie quarterback. That quarterback just happened not to be the one they took third overall.
May the best man win
Long story short, Purdy has earned his chance. In the NFL, coaches have to put the guys in that will give them the best chance to win. There has been a lot of talk about Trey Lance being a bust. Whether or not that's true is up for debate, but what's clear and obvious is that Brock Purdy has proven himself to be the starting quarterback going forward. "Mr. Irrelevant" isn't so irrelevant anymore.
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