American Football

Barrows on Purdy: He’s not starting in Week 1; Trey Lance is. That’s the likeliest scenario at this point

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San Francisco 49ers v Seattle Seahawks
Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

Brock Purdy’s latest surgery update means Trey is QB1, and the 49ers are likely to add a veteran quarterback during free agency

The longest 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy delays his surgery, the more likely it becomes that Trey Lance takes the reins back as the starting quarterback.

Purdy is scheduled to meet with Dr. Keith Meister this week to evaluate the tear of his UCL in his throwing elbow. General manager John Lynch pointed out earlier in the week how the swelling has yet to subside, and how different this injury is:

“Every person’s different, so timelines are just that, they’re guidelines, but we’ll see. The reality is, the majority of these types of surgeries are done on baseball players. This is not a baseball injury.”

Purdy being five weeks post injury and still suffering from swelling without the ability to work out falls under the “really not good” category.

The Athletic’s Matt Barrows believes the recent news about Purdy means:

“Points to two things. 1) Trey Lance running the first-team offense and starting in Week 1 like he did last season. 2) The 49ers adding a veteran quarterback in free agency.”

The more news that comes out surrounding Purdy sounds as if he’s doing any and everything to avoid the dreaded Tommy John surgery, or as he put it, having a hybrid surgery which could put his recovery anywhere between seven and nine months.

If Dr. Meister recommends the latter, that would put Purdy on the shelf until December, which would all but end his 2023 season before it starts.

Here’s more from Barrows on why it’s looking more and more like Lance will be under center come Week 1:

“So I think with the delay, with everything else, we’re not looking at training camp anymore. We’re now looking, maybe he’s ready sometime in early September, which, of course, corresponds with the start of the regular season. Let’s just say it’s September 7 where he’s fully cleared to practice. He’s not starting in Week 1. Trey Lance is. That’s the likeliest scenario at this point.

It looks as if Trey Lance is going to start the season as the 49ers’ quarterback. And if the 49ers are winning at that point, they’re going to stick with the winning quarterback, for sure. Now you look back at the history, and these guys get injured quite a bit.

So it seems like there will be an opportunity at some point for a healthy Brock Purdy to regain that job, but an ideal world, you stick with the same quarterback all 17 games. And that quarterback, I think, at this point, could only be Trey Lance.”

The part about a potential injury to Lance that leads to Purdy regaining his job feels…unnecessary. The framing surrounding Lance are unfortunate and are the type that catch on to the masses.

The 49ers should want their No. 3 overall pick from 2021 starting. There isn’t an extensive injury history for Trey. That’s not a thing. Either way, it’s Lance as QB1, and a quarterback who isn’t on the roster backing him up.

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