Niners Dilemma: Start Sam Darnold, Trey Lance, Or Brock Purdy?

Brock Purdy

The Case For Starting Brock Purdy

Brock Purdy has never lost a game as the starting quarterback when healthy. The former last overall pick was thrown into the fire late in the season after Garoppolo and Lance went down with injuries. In their stead, Purdy completed more than 68 percent of his passes and tossed 13 touchdowns to only three interceptions.

Purdy continued his impressive play when the postseason got underway. He accounted for four touchdowns in a blowout victory against a division rival, the Seattle Seahawks. The former Cyclone signal-caller hit some roadblocks the following week vs. Dallas but still had enough juice to secure a seven-point win, allowing his team to advance to the NFC Championship.

Purdy suffered a torn ligament after rattling off seven straight victories as the QB1 in San Francisco. The Eagles were a juggernaut in 2022, so perhaps it ultimately did not matter, but the untimely injury certainly didn’t help. If Purdy is healthy by Week 1, he should retain the starting gig, given his success last season.

The Case Against Starting Brock Purdy

Was Purdy’s breakout campaign merely a blip on the radar? It is a fair question to ask. After all, every NFL team passed on the 23-year-old multiple times at the 2022 NFL Draft. As successful as Purdy was in the win column last year, many of his counting stats were inflated by a stacked cast of weapons and the best play caller in the league.

I am a firm believer in Kyle Shanahan, but settling for a lesser talented player behind center could continue handcuffing the unit as a whole; much like the previous attempts with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. Purdy is good enough to win games as a manager; he is not a guy that will ever compare to the elite of the elite at the position.