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Everyone is trying to predict the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback when the team takes the field during Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Will it be
Brock Purdy, Trey Lance, or Sam Darnold?
Purdy started some light throwing this week while under some careful supervision. He is nearly three months removed from the surgery to repair the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, an injury suffered during the NFC Championship Game.
Purdy's workload will ramp up, and the 49ers remain hopeful that he can begin throwing normally before the start of the regular season—maybe even sometime during training camp. The second-year quarterback hasn't had any setbacks, so that is certainly possible.
"
There are certain markers that you hit," general manager John Lynch said Wednesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "He was 12 weeks out, and that meant it was time to throw. He did so and responded really well. He's just had one session thus far, but we're incredibly encouraged by that."
Lynch added, "And as for best-case scenario, we're just going to kind of take it as it comes. But the hope is he's ready for training camp. The hope is he's ready for the regular season."
Lance started last season as the 49ers' starting quarterback but suffered a season-ending ankle injury just two games in. He is healthy now and competing with veteran Sam Darnold for at least the QB2 spot. While Lance has only four career starts, Darnold has 55. Some argue that the added experience makes Darnold a strong candidate to start Week 1 if Purdy isn't ready.
One 49ers insider joined KNBR on Thursday morning and summarized the Purdy storyline pretty well.
"I'll tell you what, the vibe and just what is coming out of that building is so much more positive in the past two weeks than it had been," Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area said on the
Murph & Mac show. "It was always kind of a, 'Wait and see, pump the brakes, hope he can be ready.'
"And starting with Kyle Shanahan, who certainly is not among the more optimistic people you ever talked to, last week, he was like, 'We're feeling good that he can be ready Week 1.' And then John Lynch yesterday ... he drew a pretty rosy picture of where Brock Purdy is.
"I think when you don't see it, you don't know exactly what's going on because you always kind of have this impression of, 'Oh, he can't start throwing until three months in,' but clearly he's putting in a lot of work and going through stuff. So he's working that elbow, and now, I think that throwing program is starting to ramp up."
Who would Maiocco pick if he had to predict which quarterback would lead the 49ers offense at Acrisure Stadium during Week 1?
"He's been working all the way through," Maiocco said of Purdy. "So all signs certainly are pointing to him. If I were a betting man right now, and the odds were
Who's going to be the starting quarterback for the 49ers on September 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, my money would go on Brock Purdy."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Maiocco below.
A questionable rumor surfaced on Wednesday regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers' interest in San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein reported that the AFC team was seemingly confident they could pull off a trade for Aiyuk.
However, the credibility of this report comes into question due to the assertion that the Steelers believe they could acquire Aiyuk at a bargain price, possibly in exchange for a second-round draft pick and a late-round selection.
RELATED: Steelers believe they can acquire Aiyuk at a
ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently shared his insights on the situation surrounding San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk during an appearance on the network's "NFL Live" show. Schefter clarified that while Aiyuk would like to remain with the 49ers, his priority is securing a contract that reflects his value, regardless of the team.
When questioned about Aiyuk's desire to stay with the team that selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Schefter responded, "Well, I think his desire to get paid is greater than his desire to stay in San Francisco, wherever that is. If the 49ers want to pay him, I'm sure he'd love to stay in San Francisco. If another team would like to pay him, I'm sure he'd like to go
If the San Francisco 49ers decide to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, it's likely to occur within the next four days—before or during Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite some unconfirmed rumors, there has been no concrete indication that a trade is imminent. Previously, the 49ers had expressed a desire to retain Aiyuk for the foreseeable future.
Aiyuk's agent, Ryan Williams, has swiftly refuted rumors, including one alleging that the receiver had requested a trade, claiming that the Pittsburgh Steelers were "aggressively pursuing" the receiver.
While no official trade request
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined
