Brock Purdy is the frontrunner for the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback in 2023. However, we are looking at a September to November return for last year's rookie sensation. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have a lot of confidence in the 23-year-old, and why shouldn't they? He played solid football after replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo on December 4 and rattling off seven consecutive wins as a starter.
San Francisco will have a clearer picture of Purdy's return timeline when the quarterback starts throwing in June.
"The protocol is you start throwing at three months, but it all depends on how your therapy and your range of motion and everything goes up until that point," Purdy recently shared on FOX Sports Radio. "There are definitely some boxes I have to check off first before I get to that point, but that's the plan as of now."
While the 49ers wait, they will allow the backup quarterback battle to play out. It will feature a competition between Trey Lance and Sam Darnold, two players with some poor fortune so far during their NFL careers.
Lance has started only four games since the 49ers made him the No. 3 overall pick in 2021. Declared the starter last season, a season-ending ankle injury during Week 2 shortened his 2022 campaign.
Darnold has 55 starts under his belt but has been a part of some talent-deprived rosters, resulting in a 21-34 record as a starter. The hope is that the veteran quarterback is better than his record indicates.
One of those two quarterbacks could be San Francisco's Week 1 starter. However, one will need to really impress the coaching staff to leap Purdy on the depth chart. This offseason could be career-changing for one of the two players.
"What the Niners know for certain now is that the on-field reps through spring will go to Lance and Darnold," Albert Breer wrote in a feature for Sports Illustrated. "They're hoping Lance will turn a corner, but, with the roster they have, and the presence of Purdy, they can no longer sacrifice in-season reps to facilitate his development—as they'd planned last year.
"Meanwhile, there's some hope that Darnold, seen as a strong system fit, could turn a corner. As a rookie, Darnold played for Mike Shanahan protégé Jeremy Bates and had his best year in a scheme built to make the QB play fast."
The 49ers' offseason program kicks off on April 17, with organized team activities scheduled throughout the following months.
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