Trey Lance and Sam Darnold could be fighting to start for the 49ers in 2023, and the two quarterbacks shared how things have been in this competition so far.
From the looks of it, Brock Purdy will wind up being the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback in Week 1 this upcoming September despite coming off a torn UCL last January and offseason elbow surgery in his throwing arm.
While Purdy has started throwing again, it's going to take time to build up his arm strength. And, as anyone who has watched football for any moderate length of time can attest, recovery timelines don't always go according to plan.
Should Purdy miss more time, the primary beneficiaries are the Niners' two other high-profile quarterbacks, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold, who have been given the opportunity to compete against each other while splitting first-team reps during offseason workouts to date while Purdy is sidelined.
Injuries have been a big part of Lance's timeline in the NFL. During his rookie season, a broken finger in the preseason hindered his throwing efforts and motion. Then, in Week 2 of the following year in which he was supposed to be San Francisco's full-time starter, the former No. 3 overall NFL Draft pick suffered a season-ending broken ankle.
Needless to say, it's been a frustrating two years since the 49ers grabbed Lance with that third-overall pick.
In light of his current context (competing with Darnold and looking up the depth chart at Purdy), Lance is feeling pretty optimistic about his immediate future.
Trey Lance says 2022 was 'just a bump in the road'
Both Lance and Darnold attended Tight End University, hosted by Niners tight end George Kittle along with now-retired Carolina Panthers star tight end Greg Olsen and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and the two quarterbacks were invited to, well... throw the ball to tight ends.
Some of Lance's comments to NBC Sports Bay Area about where he's at now, both mentally and physically, reveal a good deal about how he's approaching the impending competition with Darnold and potentially Purdy, too.
"I like to play,” Lance declared. "That’s why I came here , so it’s definitely hard when I don’t get that opportunity, and last year was part of it. Just a bump in the road and I’ll be better for it."
While it's not at all a shot fired at anyone or anything in particular, Lance is clearing stating his intentions of becoming a starting quarterback and actually playing.
Darnold will be in his way, though.
Sam Darnold admits learning 49ers offense has been 'a work in progress'
One of the major advantages Lance has over Darnold in this competition is that the former knows head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.
Granted, Darnold has far more on-field experience, both in college and within the NFL, but at least Lance is further ahead than Darnold in the playbook.
Darnold essentially admitted as much from TEU, too.
“Yeah, it’s been a work in progress,” Darnold told NBC Sports Bay Area's Jennifer Lee Chan. “I thought I got better throughout camp and just got more comfortable with the system, so still got to study and go through the process of continuing to learn the system. But I’m excited for it, and it’s been really fun so far.”
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Shanahan's offense is notoriously complex, but it's highly effective when executed properly. Hence that's why a new face like Darnold will wind up being proverbially "behind the 8-ball" when it comes to understanding it.
However, just like Lance, Darnold is looking forward to that competition with Lance for the potential starting job to open up the regular season.
Assuming Purdy isn't ready, of course.