No one should be handed anything in the NFL. Players and coaches know that competition helps drive improvement. It might be why the San Francisco 49ers added veteran Sam Darnold this offseason—to push quarterback Trey Lance and see what the former No. 3 overall pick can do in his third offseason while Brock Purdy is sidelined.
Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus recently previewed upcoming training camp battles at every offensive position. He had some options for NFL quarterback battles, but none seemed more intriguing than the one brewing in Santa Clara, it seems.
If he's healthy, most view Purdy as the unquestioned starter following an impressive rookie performance that saw the quarterback come in after Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo were injured. Purdy guided the 49ers to eight consecutive wins and a trip to the NFC Championship Game, the team's third in four seasons.
Unfortunately, fans couldn't see if the Purdy magic would last against the Philadelphia Eagles. The quarterback suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing arm and wasn't good for much in the contest other than handing the ball off to running backs.
"From Week 13 to the playoffs, it felt like Purdy was the darling of the NFL world," wrote Sikkema. "During that stretch, he threw 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions, ranking second among the league's quarterbacks in yards per attempt (8.4). But unfortunately, he suffered a serious season-ending elbow injury that required offseason surgery."
Purdy underwent his surgery on March 10. He got some light throwing in toward the end of the 49ers' offseason program, giving the team hope that the injured quarterback might return in late August, in time to prepare to be the Week 1 starter. Should he be automatically handed back the job, though?
"Many analysts would have him down as the unquestioned starter if he is fully healthy during camp, but it still shouldn't be a stone-cold guarantee even if he is healthy," wrote Sikkema. "After all, the seventh-round draft pick earned a 79.1 passing grade in his best stretch, which is solid, but he paired just five big-time throws with four turnover-worthy plays."
The 49ers surrendered much for Lance, trading up in the draft to select the former North Dakota State quarterback. Lance has started only four NFL games. Fully healed from his season-ending ankle injury, this offseason has allowed the inexperienced quarterback to gain valuable practice reps.
"He played in a run-heavy offense in high school, where he attempted 20 passes in a game just once," Sikkema wrote of Lance. "He then got only one year as a starter at North Dakota State in his entire college career. He backed up Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021, then played just two games as a starter in 2022 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. There's a ton of promise to him, but we have to see it this summer."
Sikkema doesn't expect Darnold to be much of a factor in the upcoming quarterback battle, with the true contenders being Purdy and Lance. Darnold has plenty of experience with 55 starts under his belt but has never lived up to his high draft status. Of course, he's never had as talented a roster around him as the one he has with the 49ers.
"As for Darnold, he likely won't be too much of a threat for the starting job unless Purdy and Lance aren't healthy enough to go," wrote Sikkema.
"This battle not only means a lot for the two young quarterbacks who are making their case to be starters and franchise guys but also because the Niners should once again be poised for a conference title run."