Have the 49ers decided on who their backup quarterback will be behind Trey Lance this season? Maybe not just yet.
It's been long assumed that veteran Nate Sudfeld would get the nod as the team's No. 2 quarterback behind Lance, given his experience edge over rookie and seventh-round pick Brock Purdy. Sudfeld was also given $2 million in guaranteed money when he re-signed with the 49ers over the offseason, which certainly doesn't hurt his chances.
But after Saturday night's 17-7 preseason win over the Vikings, during which Sudfeld and Purdy split reps with Lance on the sidelines, head coach Kyle Shanahan seemingly wasn't ready to say for sure which player would be Lance's backup.
"There's nothing done yet," Shanahan said. "We haven't been giving them equal reps or anything, but Brock's done a good job every time he's gotten his opportunity. I thought Nate did some real good things tonight and last week too. But I like both those guys and we'll see how it finishes up."
Purdy threw for 128 yards on 14-of-23 passing against the Vikings, one week after going 3-of-6 for 36 yards and a touchdown in a 28-21 win over the Packers. Sudfeld finished 13-of-17 for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings after connecting on 8-of-11 passes for 103 yards and one touchdown against the Packers.
Odds still probably favor Sudfeld getting the nod behind Lance, while Purdy could wind up on the practice squad. But who knows -- maybe Purdy will put together enough highlights in the end to make the 49ers want to keep him on the roster, whether he's the No. 2 or No. 3 option at quarterback. The 49ers liked what they saw from Purdy in college at Iowa State and made it a point to get him in the fold when they selected him with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, so perhaps they'll feel like keeping him around rather than risking another team from getting a shot at him if they put him on waivers or the practice squad.
"We were high on him coming out," Shanahan said. "Kub [assistant quarterbacks coach Klay Kubiak] and [quarterbacks coach Brian] Griese put a lot of time into him. They really liked him coming out. We liked his tape. But he's been real consistent in practice. The way you guys have seen him in games, it's been real consistent. That's why he's got a chance to make our team."
