As the 49ers found out last season, you can never have too many talented QBs on the roster. They had three different players start at QB for them in 2022. Jimmy Garoppolo started 10 games, Brocky Purdy started 5, and Trey Lance started two. After his impressive run to end the season and into the postseason, Purdy is QB1 in 2023.
With Garollpolo no longer on the team, the 49ers brought in Sam Darnold to compete for the backup QB job. Heading into the preseason, it’s an open competition between Trey Lance and Sam Darnold to win the job. On the teams’ first unofficial depth chart yesterday, Lance and Darnold were both listed as the QB2 with an “OR” between their names. Neither player has done enough to win the job yet,
Will Sam Darnold or Trey Lance be the 49ers’ backup QB in 2023?
Update: #49ers list former 2021 3rd overall pick Trey Lance and former 2018 3rd overall pick Sam Darnold as “Or” for the QB2 spot on the team behind 7th round pick QB1 Brock Purdy.
Will Lance manage to beat out Sam Darnold for the back up spot during pre-season?
Some reports… pic.twitter.com/GSqSvBXbfz
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 8, 2023
Brock Purdy is not expected to play in San Fransisco’s pre-season opener vs the Raiders on Sunday. However, he will take part in both joint practices on Thursday and Friday with Las Vegas. The game on Sunday will be Trey Lance and Sam Darnold’s first chance to impress their head coaches in a game-like setting.
When it comes to NFL experience, Sam Darnold has the upper hand on Trey Lance. Darnold has played in 56 career games and has started in 55 of them. After being drafted by the Jets third overall in 2018, he spent three seasons in New York. He was with the Carolina Panthers from 2021-22.
Deep outs from Trey Lance, Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen at 49ers camp pic.twitter.com/VYezQb0nIT
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) August 8, 2023
Compared to Sam Darnold, Trey Lance has a small sample size of NFL experience. The 23-year-old has played in eight career games for the 49ers and has made four starts. After the team drafted him third overall in 2021, he hasn’t lived up to the hype just yet. Brock Purdy was the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft and has somehow found himself as the starter for the 49ers.
The QB1 job is locked up, but the next few weeks will be important to see who wins the backup job. Sam Darnold and Trey Lance will have plenty of chances to earn the QB2 role during the pre-season.
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