San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the team’s third-string signal caller who took over the reins from an injured Jimmy Garoppolo back in Week 13, has been riding a stunning wave of early personal and team success to the tune of a 12-game winning streak.
Ahead of the 49ers’ showdown against their longtime rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Purdy hype train has unsurprisingly continued on at warp speed. This time the latest buzz stems from a report by Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle that claims the starting quarterback job for the 2023 season has already been won by Purdy.
In the story and in a follow-up tweet, Silver specifically stated he talked to two people who had knowledge of the 49ers’ plans regarding their starting quarterback, and they confirmed it was already “semi-obvious.”
While using the term “semi-obvious” might come across as a little confusing or bring about some doubt, the follow-through words of “the battle is over, and Purdy has won” put any uncertainty to rest. At least in terms of the quote itself.
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NFL insider’s Brock Purdy report holds weight
In addition to Silver’s report, former NFL All-Pro Eric Davis, who played with the 49ers, has claimed to have heard the same thing.
To provide a little background on Silver, he has been covering the NFL for years and has had direct ties and accessibility to the 49ers organization dating back to the Joe Montana and Steve Young days in 1990.
So this report should come with the appropriate weight. This isn’t some random tweet that gained traction and somehow manifested itself into reliable information.
Just be sure to keep in mind it’s only January, and the 49ers’ current season is still alive. Up next is what’s next, and that would be the Dallas Cowboys.
What we do seem to know as a near certainty when it comes to San Francisco’s QB situation going into next season is that Garoppolo, a free agent to be, will be seeking a contract with a new team where he’s more or less guaranteed the starting job.
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Trey Lance’s future remains uncertain
However, Trey Lance — the 49ers quarterback to begin the 2022 season — had thrown a total of just 31 passes as the team’s official starter before a season-ending injury. Not exactly the body of work one would use to make such conclusive judgments.
Alas, according to Michael Silver, we are apparently already there.
Although it is somewhat difficult to imagine the 49ers have already made up their mind considering Lance was a quarterback whom San Francisco forked over a lot of draft capital in order to select him as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. And keep in mind Lance is still only 22 years old.
So for Lance not to get an opportunity heading into training camp this summer and lose his job by way of an injury would come across as pretty bizarre for those exact reasons.
There does happen to be one potential bright spot in all of this, though. At least as it pertains to a portion of some very vocal and passionate 49ers fans.
According to Silver, given Purdy’s surging rise to prominence, it is not likely that GM John Lynch and Co. will end up making a push to sign Tom Brady in free agency.
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