Phoenix, AZ – Brock Purdy is the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, once he’s healthy, of course.
“I think Brock has earned the right with the way he played that he’s probably the leader in the clubhouse at that,” 49ers GM John Lynch told the Bay Area media at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ. “I’ll let Kyle make those kind of decisions, but I know when we talk, I think Brock’s probably earned that right to be the guy if we were to line up, he’d probably take that first snap.”
Brock Purdy, QB1 #49ers pic.twitter.com/UxBreo2GE5
— Tracy Sandler (@49ersfangirl) March 27, 2023
“We’re really excited about where Trey is at with his progress from his injury. He’s been working really hard and love the opportunity to be able to bring in Sam Darnold and his skillset. We think it’s a really good fit, so we like that room a lot.”
Let’s take a look at all things 49ers quarterbacks from Lynch below.
Brock Purdy’s Recovery
Purdy is rehabbing with physical therapist Keith Kocher, who specializes in working with athletes recovering from elbow issues, in Arizona.
“He’s right down the road here in Gilbert. Our guys have been flying down and just checking in with his rehab…[I]t’s early on, there’s not a whole lot that you’re doing, it’s a lot of the range of motion and whatnot, but he’s right here…Around 12 weeks, we’ll know a lot more. That’s when he can start throwing and that’s when I think you really start to know a little bit more about timelines…They were very pleased with the way the surgery went, so we’re excited about that.
“…[O]ur hope is he’s ready to go in training camp. We’re going to do what’s right for Brock because that’s right for our organization and be aggressive with what we do, but also be really smart and we’ve insulated ourselves with other guys that we have a lot of belief in.”
That being said, the 12-week post surgery mark will give more clarity in terms of Purdy’s readiness.
“Let’s get to 12 weeks…and then I’ll be able to give you a little more guidance in terms of where he’s at, how he’s responding…with respect to the norm and all that,” Lynch said. “And then I think we’ll be able to settle in on some timelines.”
Brock Purdy is currently rehabbing in Arizona with physical therapist Keith Kocher. Kocher has worked extensively with athletes recovering from elbow issues for over two decades. #49ers
— Tracy Sandler (@49ersfangirl) March 27, 2023
The surgery was performed on March 10 by Dr. Keith Meister, and it was a repair and not a Tommy John reconstruction surgery, which was excellent news for Lynch, Shanahan and pretty much everyone else who works at Levi’s Stadium.
Lynch and Shanahan were with team owner Jed York in Cabo San Lucas for a pre-agency retreat when they got the good news.
Trey Lance and the New Guy, Sam Darnold
Meanwhile there’s another quarterback coming off an injury waiting in the wings – a quarterback the 49ers traded quite a bit of draft capital to get in 2021. So what does this mean for Trey Lance?
“I think that’s a fair question, it’s a good question,” Lynch said. “I mean we’ve always said we don’t care where you were drafted or if you were drafted. That’s always been our stance..We’re still very excited about Trey, but I think the way Brock played, he probably has earned that right to be the guy, but it’s certainly a competition. We will always have that. And again, these are decisions Kyle makes but I know in our discussions this is the way we’re talking.”
The 49ers have three quarterbacks on the roster with Purdy, Lance and the newly-signed Sam Darnold. While Purdy rehabs, the latter two have will have an opportunity to get reps and compete for QB2 – or QB1 is Purdy isn’t quite ready come Week 1.
“The one nice thing for Sam and Trey is there’s going to be a lot of snaps out there in the offseason program, as much as it’s not like the old days with the offseason program, but there’s a lot of snaps and so there’s going to be a lot of valuable experience,” Lynch said. “Those two are going to get the opportunity to go out there and show what they can do and they’re both really looking forward to that.”
And what if there’s no place for Lance and another team comes calling?
“We like Trey right on our team right now,” Lynch said. “We always joke, Kyle and I, we’d trade each other if someone gave us a good enough deal. So we listen to anything, but we like Trey on our team and we’re very excited about the way he’s progressing, about his opportunity. I think he’s chomping at the bit to get out there and get back under center and be healthy again.”
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