The San Francisco 49ers have found themselves back in the depths of the playoffs again. This year is different from 2019 and 2021 in the fact that they have gone through three quarterbacks. First, Trey Lance was lost in Week 2, then Jimmy Garoppolo was injured in Week 13, and now Brock Purdy is leading them. The Niners have seen success regardless, winning 13 games in 2022. But as the playoffs go on, the question lingers about the future of the 49ers’ quarterbacks.
Brock Purdy (5-0 as San Francisco 49ers’ Starting QB)
Brock Purdy was a relatively unknown commodity. In fact, he was irrelevant- Mr. Irrelevant. The Niners took a chance on Purdy with the 262nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Iowa State. He was pushed into the starting spot after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a broken foot in December, and he took over from there.
The 49ers are 6-0 in Purdy’s starts, including their Wild Card victory over Seattle. In all of Purdy’s starts, he has thrown at least two touchdowns and a passer rating over 95. And the most encouraging for a rookie, four of his starts have had no interceptions. In fact, since Week 13, Purdy’s 16-3 touchdown to interception ratio edges out Garoppolo’s 16-4 ratio in four fewer games.
As a 7th-round rookie, Purdy is under contract until 2025, with $77,008 guaranteed. Of the 49ers’ quarterbacks, he is on the most team-friendly deal of the bunch. And at 23, he offers flexibility to keep or trade him if San Franchise chooses to.
Jimmy Garoppolo (38-17)
Garoppolo is the most tenured quarterback in the room easily. After coming to the Bay Area via trade in 2017 from New England, he started 55 games, winning 38 games in the process. He helped lead the Niners to a Super Bowl during that time along with two NFC West titles. After testing the open market, he was brought back on a one-year contract in July as a backup before Trey Lance’s injury.
Garoppolo provides a steady presence in San Francisco, as he has played the longest in Kyle Shanahan’s system. He was in the middle of one of his most efficient seasons as a 49er before his injury. Garappolo’s adjusted yards per attempt (124), interception percentage (122), sack percentage (107), and passer rating indexes (121) are the highest in his career in San Francisco. The 49ers went 7-3 in Garoppolo’s 10 starts in 2022.
However, a common theme with Jimmy Garoppolo has been his injuries. He has played every game only one time in his career, in the 2019 season when they made the Super Bowl. Outside of that, he has missed significant time in 2018 (13 games missed) and 2020 (10 games missed). This season, he broke his foot against the Miami Dolphins and missed the final five games of the regular season.
With Garoppolo on a one-year deal, much speculation will be had about where he goes in 2023. There is a world where he comes back to San Francisco again, especially given the 49ers’ status as a contender in the NFC. However, Lance’s status as a top-five pick combined with Purdy’s emergence makes that prospect more questionable than in 2022.
Trey Lance (2-2)
Trey Lance is the mystery man of the 49ers’ quarterback room. Drafted third overall in 2021, Lance has only started four games in his career at this point. Shanahan’s plan to start Lance in 2022 was cut short in Week 2 when he fractured his ankle, ending his season.
Lance is notably very raw in terms of game experience. He had only played one full season at North Dakota State, where he threw for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns, and no interceptions in 2019. He played one game in 2020 in college and made two starts in his rookie season last year.
Lance is likely the most athletic quarterback of the trio. He stands at 6’4, and 224 pounds, and he has shown that he has dual-threat potential in college. In 2019, he ran for 1,110 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore. With the 49ers, Lance has been used in designed quarterback runs, options, and power plays. Unfortunately, it was on a designed run that Lance suffered his injury. As a passer, he projects to be very good with stretching defenses down the field but has to work on working through his reads and progressions. Two of his five touchdown passes are over 40 yards, both from his rookie season.
The San Francisco Fiasco
Many NFL teams likely envy the San Francisco 49ers’ position. An NFC contender that boasts a quality veteran and two intriguing younger passers. Given the 49ers’ position in their title window, the offseason provides an interesting situation for who they keep.
To predict, Garoppolo will likely walk in free agency. With Lance being raw but with high potential and Purdy’s breakout, Garoppolo could see interest around the league from QB-needy franchises. Washington, New Orleans, and Las Vegas serve as examples.
If Garoppolo is back, then we may enter the wild world of trading either Lance or Purdy. The value for both players will be high- Lance is a former third-overall pick who is raw but with high potential. Meanwhile, Brock Purdy has been one of the breakout stars throughout the second half of the season.
However the San Francisco 49ers choose to handle the situation, they have an embarrassment of riches to choose from.
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