Brock Purdy's long recovery means the 49ers will have 2023's most exciting QB battle

Four quarterbacks took snaps for the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. All four missed time due to significant injury.

For Jimmy Garoppolo and Josh Johnson, two veterans unlikely to play a major role for the club going forward, this means little to the Niners’ 2023. But for Brock Purdy and Trey Lance, it could determine the future of the franchise.

Purdy and Lance had been set to duel for San Francisco’s top job throughout the offseason after the former went 5-0 as a starter while posting a sparkling 107.4 passer rating. But his status for offseason team activities was thrown into flux when a torn UCL in his throwing elbow knocked him out of the NFC Championship Game. That was nearly a month ago — and swelling in the joint has prevented him from getting the surgery meant to fix his broken wing.

#49ers QB Brock Purdy today visited Dr. Keith Meister, who recommended postponing surgery because of ongoing inflammation in Purdy’s elbow, per sources.

They’ll reconvene in early March. All signs continue to point a UCL repair that would have Purdy ready for the 2023 season.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 22, 2023

This isn’t a major problem. The 49ers have exercised patience in these situations before. Lance’s broken ankle required a second surgery three months after the injury took place to remove hardware inserted the first time around. Like Lance, Purdy’s prognosis indicates a full recovery by the start of the 2023 season. But missing any amount of time creates an opportunity for Lance to solidify his spot as the team’s starter.

Lance, 2021’s third overall pick and a player for whom San Francisco traded three first round picks to acquire, was handed the reins before the 2022 season. He lasted 84 snaps — most of which came in monsoon conditions in an opening week loss to the Chicago Bears — before losing what was supposed to be a breakout season due to injury.

Now, instead of splitting reps (or potentially losing them) in organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamp — the team practices that take place in the summer before training camp begins — Lance will take his reps with the starters. Purdy won’t just be working to recover from his torn UCL, he’ll also be fighting the momentum and chemistry the former first rounder has built over weeks of practices. And since he’ll be recovering, there’s a good chance he won’t be throwing the ball as much as his counterpart as he works his way back into game shape — think of a convalescing MLB ace working on a pitch count in the minors on his road back to the mound.

Purdy was always going to be at a disadvantage due to having the more recent injury. Losing another two weeks when he could be working with his wideouts pushes that even further. We know Lance is capable of things Purdy’s game is lacking. He’s an explosive mobile quarterback and, more importantly, able to sling the ball downfield with more speed and power than his newer, but still older, teammate.

But Purdy has a trump card built into his resume. He didn’t take QB1 reps at any point until December last season. He finished the year 8-0 with a 16:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in games where he threw at least 10 passes. He can build himself up from nothing and lead the 49ers to greatness.

This sets the stage for an intriguing summer of OTAs and practices in San Francisco. Lance will enter August with starting quarterback hype because he’s the guy playing with the starters. As long as he doesn’t fall apart, he’ll likely remain in that position even after Purdy is cleared for takeoff. This doesn’t mean he’ll stay there or that he’s the team’s best option even if he does, because we know was the Iowa State star is capable of.

Then you throw in the volatility of two young passers working with small sample sizes and the idea that anyone can fly Kyle Shanahan’s autopilot offense and, hooooo buddy, this is gonna be a fun summer for the 49ers. The rest of the league will have its crop of rookie first rounders and veterans like Derek Carr and sure, why not, Aaron Rodgers in new places. And that’ll be interesting! But the most intriguing quarterback battle will take place in the Bay Area, because Lance and Purdy, two very different young quarterbacks, are each stuck with something to prove in 2023.