49ers roster: 53-man bubble watch with 2022 minicamp in the books

49ers bubble watch: Quarterback

Lock: Trey Lance, Nate Sudfeld

Strong bubble: None

Weak bubble: Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy

Long shot: None

Ah, yes. The most intriguing depth-chart battle to take place for the Niners in training camp: Who winds up securing the No. 2 spot at quarterback behind Trey Lance?

Lance received all the first-team reps during OTAs and mandatory minicamp with the veteran, Jimmy Garoppolo, sidelined because of offseason shoulder surgery. And with San Francisco still looking to trade Garoppolo before Week 1, it doesn’t appear as if Lance will lose QB1 duties anytime soon, if at all.

Granted, there’s still a slight chance Garoppolo stays on the roster this season, provided the 49ers can’t find a trade partner and elect to keep him at a drastically reduced salary correlating to a backup role.

Read More: Jimmy G’s absence from minicamp is another Trey Lance endorsement

If Garoppolo is moved, however, those duties fall upon the two others on the roster, Nate Sudfeld and the final pick of the 2022 draft, Brock Purdy.

Sudfeld, who carries $2 million in dead money if cut, is assuredly making the 53-man roster in one way or another despite him not doing much to separate himself from Purdy during offseason workouts.

Whether or not the Niners elect to keep three quarterbacks on the regular-season roster will ultimately determine Purdy’s chances, and then only if Garoppolo is dismissed.