5 significant questions for 49ers at quarterback in 2023

Significant 49ers question No. 5: What if Brock Purdy isn't the guy?

Circling back to Brock Purdy to close things out, many a fan won't hesitate to point out he was "Mr. Irrelevant," the final pick of the NFL Draft who became quite relevant at the end of his rookie season because of what he helped San Francisco do en route to the penultimate game of the year.

That said, Purdy was also pegged as a potential first-round prospect early during his collegiate tenure at Iowa State, too, so it illustrates just how volatile a quarterback's stock value can be at any given time.

For the most part, Purdy proved he's far more adept and capable than the bulk of signal-callers drafted on day three, let alone just in Round 7. From the stats, analytics and the film, there are plenty of positive examples that suggest he's "the real deal."

But, what if he's not?

Perhaps it's the result of his NFC Championship injury. Or, perhaps the negative reasons why Purdy slipped into Round 7 wind up surfacing again.

But, if the 49ers conclude that Purdy is their No. 1 guy moving forward, only to see him flame out, that'd be the biggest question-raising issue of them all.

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