49ers roster bubble watch with 2023 NFL Draft in the books
By Peter Panacy
49ers roster bubble watch: Quarterback
Lock: Sam Darnold, Brock Purdy
Strong bubble: Trey Lance
Weak bubble: Brandon Allen
Long shot: None
Ah, yes. The position everyone has been waiting for.
The duel between Brock Purdy and Trey Lance for the starting quarterback job hinges on a few different X-factors. First, Purdy is still recovering from offseason elbow surgery and might not be ready by Week 1, let alone training camp.
On top of that, Lance is going to have to outshine all competition by a wide margin between now and then, and even that might not save his roster spot with San Francisco if NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is correct about predicting the 49ers trade Lance this August to another quarterback-needy team.
That prediction is based on the premise that Lance would be in an awfully awkward situation behind Purdy and free-agent pickup Sam Darnold in the QB3 role.
Speaking of Darnold, he's not going anywhere. Not at $3.5 million of his $4.5 million one-year contract guaranteed.
If Lance winds up being moved, however, look for Brandon Allen to hang around as a third-stringer.
Next. 49ers 2023 full schedule, game-by-game predictions. dark