The 49ers have a stacked offense and defense -- but San Franciso's biggest question mark heading into the 2023 NFL season is at quarterback.
However, if second-year quarterback Brock Purdy is ready for Week 1, NFL Media’s Rich Eisen believes the 23-year-old should be under center despite the 49ers having Sam Darnold and Trey Lance on the depth chart.
“The best scenario for the 49ers is if Brock Purdy can come back and be the kid that finished last year the way that finished last year,” Eisen said Friday on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “That’s the best scenario.”
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Furthermore, Eisen believes San Francisco is in a great spot if Purdy can pick off where he left off last season and continue to outplay his contract.
“I think Purdy would be for me, that would be the best option for the San Francisco 49ers because what better way to build a team than with a quarterback who has three years left on a seventh-round draft choice contract? That is the mother lode,” Eisen continued.
Purdy underwent surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm this offseason and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan noted that if the Iowa State product doesn’t suffer a setback, he could be in training camp.
“As long as Brock’s elbow heals right, he will be the exact same guy,” the 49ers coach said on May 10 during the Dwight Clark Legacy Series event at the California Theatre.
San Francisco 49ers
“And when you have a clean break like that, or tear, it will be. You can’t have a setback and you can’t have something heal wrong, but everything has been completely on pace.”
If Purdy cannot be under center to start this season, it will be up to Darnold and Lance to navigate the ship and get the 49ers off on the right foot.