George Kittle on 49ers’ starting QB: It’s Brock Purdy’s job to lose

The San Francisco 49ers have a quarterback situation heading into the offseason once again, which was only furthered by rookie quarterback Brock Purdy's UCL injury that will likely keep him out until at least training camp, given his expected six-month timeline.

Earlier this week, fellow quarterback Trey Lance joined the Rich Eisen Show, where he praised Purdy's performance and just desired a chance to compete for the starting position, given the situation.

On Thursday, tight end George Kittle joined Buffalo Bills edge rusher Von Miller's podcast, The VonCast, where he was asked about San Francisco's quarterback situation heading into the 2023 season.

Kittle acknowledged the uncertainty behind five-year starter Jimmy Garoppolo, who is a free agent and will not return to the team, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.

"I don't know what's going on with Jimmy [Garoppolo]. He's a free agent, so whatever happens there happens," Kittle said.

However, in regards to Lance, Kittle expressed his belief that Lance has the talent, but just hasn't been given a shot yet, given the unfortunate injury that occurred in his first year as a starter.

"Trey Lance is still there, and Trey, unfortunately, has not really gotten a fair shot of being an NFL quarterback yet. You got a full rain-game monsoon versus the Bears and he got hurt in his second game," Kittle said. "You know, Trey's still got plenty of talent. He just needs to get out there and play."

However, Kittle affirmed his stance on the quarterback position, sharing his belief that it's Purdy's job to lose, given the year he had and the circumstances he responded to.

"But, you can't talk about what Brock Purdy did. He's fantastic. Our offense was operating at the highest it's probably been since 2019. So, in my opinion, it's Brock's job to lose. But, there will be competition since Brock will be out till training camp with his surgery, so it's going to be interesting. But, when you find a guy like that [who] can seamlessly jump in, I think it's his job to lose."

At the moment, it's currently unclear whether Purdy will be available for the offseason, as Kittle mentioned, as the quarterback's surgery is set for February 22nd, with a six-month timeline placing his return near the end of the preseason.

You can listen to Kittle's thoughts here.