SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco 49ers saw their promising season come to an end rather unceremoniously against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, falling 38-7 after losing starting quarterback Brock Purdy to an injury.
Purdy's injury was to his UCL and he is expected to be out for about six months, meaning he should be available for training camp ahead of the 2023 season.
But will he still be penciled in as San Francisco's starting quarterback? Or will Trey Lance, the third pick in the 2022 NFL draft who dealt with injuries of his own last year, reclaim the job?
That's the question posed by Peter Bukowski to Brian Peacock of Locked on 49ers on the most recent episode of the Locked on Sports Today podcast.
"The most likely scenario is it's Trey Lance versus Brock Purdy in training camp, Peacock said. "And Trey Lance will have had the opportunity to go through the offseason training program and may have the leg up on Brock Purdy in that case."
Of course, Purdy and Lance are not the only options available to the 49ers. Aaron Rodgers is likely changing uniforms this offseason, and his connection to the Bay area as an alumni of Cal makes him an intriguing option.
"Big no on Aaron Rodgers because of the cost," Peacock continued. "The 49ers don't have enough money to pay, they have too many superstars on the roster and don't have enough draft picks this year to start trading for someone like Aaron Rodgers."
Tom Brady retired early Wednesday morning, but also has Bay Area roots and would have been an intriguing storyline if he intended to play next year.
On Tuesday, prior to Brady's retirement, Peacock said Brady would have been an interesting option.
"Tom Brady is a really interesting name," Peacock said. "Because I think he could come at a price that the 49ers could handle under the salary cap. A swan song for him, a short term deal, and really solidify the position for Kyle Shanahan."
San Francisco has proven they can succeed with (almost) anyone under center, but finding the right signal-caller could be the final piece of the puzzle to get Shanahan and the 49ers over the hump and back into the Super Bowl.