3 burning questions 49ers will have entering training camp
By Peter Panacy
Question No. 3: What happens if Trey Lance loses training camp competition?
Going back to that quarterbacking dilemma, it might not be much of a dilemma at all if a still-recovering-from-offseason-elbow-surgery Brock Purdy winds up being ready to go in the middle of training camp and prior to the regular season beginning.
The 49ers have all but openly stated they want Purdy to be QB1, which indicates that fellow signal-callers Trey Lance and Sam Darnold are fighting to be the primary backup. While the Niners could theoretically and financially keep both on the roster behind Purdy, would they?
Especially if Lance ends up losing his training camp competition to Darnold.
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That'd be a huge blow to the 2021 No. 3 overall draft choice for whom San Francisco gave up so much in trade assets. An inability to beat out Darnold, a former No. 3 overall pick himself but one who went bust, would likely spell the end of Lance's tenure with the 49ers in one way or another.
However, what would the Niners do? Would they trade him for proverbial "pennies on the dollar," or would they hold out hope that another team would come along and offer up far more acceptible compensation even if it meant waiting as deep as the NFL trade deadline this year?
Either way, this competition figures to be one that fans won't avoid watching.