The San Francisco 49ers have uncertainty at the quarterback position in training camp. Specifically, who is the QB2 on the depth chart?
The San Francisco 49ers had no luck at the quarterback position last season due to injuries. However, they appeared to have a diamond in the rough in Brock Purdy, the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, as he stepped in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo late in the season and led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. But, Purdy suffered a right elbow injury early on in that game and had to undergo offseason surgery.
With training camp underway, Purdy has been cleared to participate and is on track to be ready for the regular season. It's a certainty, barring injury, that Purdy will be the starting quarterback for the team's Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But who will be his primary backup?
The 49ers released their unofficial depth chart on Tuesday ahead of their preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. Purdy is listed as the QB1. As for QB2, the depth chart says "Trey Lance –or- Sam Darnold."
49ers won't tip their hand on who's winning the backup QB battle
It looks like this summer, it will be a battle between Darnold and Lance to see who will get to stand on the sidelines and enter the game if necessary this upcoming season.
The 49ers traded a boatload of draft capital to trade up to the No. 3 spot to select their quarterback of the future. With Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson off the board, the 49ers selected Lance out of North Dakota States, even though there was heavy buzz that they could select Mac Jones. Lance didn't see playing time his rookie year, as he sat behind Garoppolo.
Last season was Lance's shot as the starter. He had a rough showing in the season opener in rainy Chicago against the Bears, and then in Week 2, fractured his ankle against the Seattle Seahawks. That knocked him out for the remainder of the season. As Lance recovered, he watched Purdy ascend to the starting quarterback position, and seemingly won't relent it.
As for Darnold, he never panned out as a No. 3 pick as well. After spending his first three years with the New York Jets, he was traded to the Carolina Panthers. The Jets were moving forward with Wilson as their eventual starter. But this past season, Darnold showed promise late in the season for the Panthers, especially in Week 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Darnold threw for 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions while completing 58.6 percent of his passes in six games.
There should be a clearer idea of who head coach Kyle Shanahan will pick as his QB2 with each passing preseason game. It all begins on Sunday, Aug. 13 when they play the Raiders.
