Prior to his Week 13 injury, Jimmy Garoppolo was arguably playing the best football of his career. The San Francisco 49ers had the division lead in the NFC West and appeared well on their way to clinching another spot in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, Jimmy G broke his foot against Miami, and third-string rookie QB Brock Purdy had to take over. Despite largely being forgotten about on draft day, Mr. Irrelevant go on to lead five consecutive wins, helping secure the second seed in the NFC to become the most popular man in the Bay Area.
With Purdy doing plenty to prove he belongs, not only in the NFL but also possibly in the starting lineup, Garoppolo continues his road to recovery. At the time of his injury, it was mentioned that Garoppolo could be out for the season but had a chance to return in time for a late playoff run.
Now, as Garoppolo gets closer to full health, the question has turned to fans wondering who would be the team’s starter once the veteran is able to take the field again.
According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, no matter what happens or when Garoppolo returns, Purdy will remain in the starting lineup for the 49ers for the rest of this postseason.
While Glazer’s report likely settles the QB controversy for the end of the 2022-23 football season, the questions will begin again once the offseason rolls around.
With Trey Lance, the third overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, expected to be back to 100% at the start of the 2023-24 season, the next big storyline to watch will be whether it’s Purdy or Lance as the locker room leader going forward. Yet, that could ultimately depend on how the rookie performs this postseason.
Related: 2023 NFL playoff QB rankings, from 14-1: Skylar Thompson to Patrick Mahomes