NFL.com says 49ers QB situation is way overblown

On one hand, the San Francisco 49ers' 2023 offseason has been relatively quiet. Unlike last year, there are no demands for a trade from high-profile players. No players are reportedly threatening to hold out if they don't receive a new contract. No one is essentially making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

It's pretty calm on the Niners' front right now, and that's probably a good thing.

That said, San Francisco still has yet another quarterbacking controversy. And, should you look around on any particular 49ers-related website, it probably won't take too long before you stumble upon the chatter about the three signal-callers vying to be QB1 this season: Brock Purdy, Trey Lance and even Sam Darnold.

Read more: Brock Purdy will be the 49ers' starter going forward, and here's why

Purdy, who went 5-0 down the stretch and managed to lead the Niners all the way to the NFC Championship game, is nevertheless coming off a torn UCL in his throwing elbow and won't be ready to throw again until training camp at the very soonest. Lance, meanwhile, has just four regular-season starts under his belt after San Francisco traded a swarm of picks to grab him at No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. And Lance, too, is coming off a broken ankle suffered last season.

Yes, Darnold is in the mix as well.

However, according to one NFL.com writer, this isn't too big of a controversy whatsoever.

Is 49ers QB controversy overblown? NFL.com thinks so

Eric Edholm of NFL.com put together a list of storylines that are either not being discussed enough or are being completely overblown.

The 49ers' quarterback situation made the list, and it might surprise you on which side of the coin it ended up.

Yes, Edholm felt this "drama" was way overblown.

"Brock Purdy deserves a shot to start. That's what going 5-0 down the stretch and leading the Niners to the NFC Championship Game should earn him, no matter his draft provenance. Still, Purdy's elbow injury has slowed him this offseason and triggered a smidge of long-term doubt.

There's also the Trey Lance matter. He struggled in the only full game he played in 2022 before sustaining a season-ending right ankle injury that required a second in-season surgery to fix. Don't forget that the franchise traded a massive tranche of draft picks to land Lance in the 2021 draft. The other quarterback in the mix to start is former first-round pick Sam Darnold, which is somehow fitting after his strange, wayward career to this point."

Read more: Niners insider paints Brock Purdy as San Francisco's unquestioned starter

For most teams, losing a starting quarterback to a season-ending injury would be disastrous and effectively a season-ending situation. The Niners also lost their No. 2 quarterback last year, Jimmy Garoppolo, to what turned into a season-ending foot injury, and that gave rise to Purdy.

Three different starting QBs? San Francisco did just fine. Sure, a loaded offense and stacked defense probably had more to do with anything than who was under center.

But that helps stress the point Edholm makes:

"These things have a way of working themselves out. Plus, the 49ers have a great team that went 6-0 against division opponents last season. If there's a roster that can survive some QB bumps and thrive without consistently elite play there, it's the 49ers. They proved that last season."

Perhaps that's the takeaway: The 49ers will be just fine regardless of which quarterback -- Purdy, Lance or Darnold -- winds up taking command of the position this season.

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