The San Francisco 49ers have a tough decision to make for the 2023 NFL Season. The NFC West squad will have three very solid quarterbacks for the upcoming campaign, but it seems like HC Kyle Shanahan has already selected who is going to be the starter for Week 1.
Last year, the 49ers had a lot of troubles with their quarterbacks. They lost Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo in the regular season due to injuries, so San Francisco had to use Brock Purdy, the 2022 Mr. Irrelevant, as starter for the rest of the campaign.
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Unfortunately, Purdy also got injured during the NFC championship game. During this offseason, the 49ers hired Sam Darnold to protect themselves in case Trey Lance and Brock couldn’t recover, but now Shanahan has decided who will take the starting job this year.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan selects his starting quarterback between Lance, Purdy and Darnold
Injuries were a significant problem for the 49ers last year, as none of their quarterbacks were able to stay healthy. That’s why they decided to sign Sam Darnold, as there was uncertainty about relying on Trey Lance and Brock Purdy to start the campaign.
During the start of the offseason, Sam Darnold was seen as the favorite to take the team in Week 1. With Trey Lance and Brock Purdy recovering from their injuries, the former Jets and Panthers quarterback was set to lead the offense in Week 1.
However, things seem to have changed recently. Trey Lance has recovered and it looks like Kyle Shanahan wants him as starter. According to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, he has been taking all the first-team reps at OTAs over Sam Darnold.
“Trey Lance is the guy during OTAs who’s been taking all the 1st-team reps; he’s healthy at this point. Sam Darnold really getting backup duty as he kinda gets his playbook under his belt. But for now, Trey Lance getting his opportunity with those first-team reps.”
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington
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Darlington also reported that Darnold is going to “push” to be the team’s starter in Week 1. However, the 49ers really want to see Trey Lance perform, as injuries have not let him show what he’s really capable of.
