A Path has Been Cleared for Trey Lance to be the 49ers Week 1 Starter
It looks like the 49ers might've figured out who their starting quarterback is after all.
Brock Purdy was initially set to have surgery to repair the ruptured UCL on his throwing elbow on Feb. 22. However, he is now being recommended by his doctor to reschedule it until next month as he is still experiencing "ongoing inflammation" with his elbow. Early March is now the new estimate for surgery to see if his condition improves.
The recovery timeline of Purdy still hasn't changed. He is expected to be good to go after six months. However, now that there is a delay, his return to the field for the 49ers puts him closer to when the regular season starts on Sept. 7. That is assuming he doesn't go through another delay or have any issues with recovery. So, Purdy is poised to miss training camp and the preseason.
A path has been cleared for Trey Lance to be the 49ers Week 1 starter.
There is no way Purdy can just be handed the starting reins as soon as he is healed. What can't be overlooked is that Purdy won't be ready to jump right into the fray as soon as he is recovered. He still has to work himself into football shape with his arm, footwork and put it all together. Then there is going to need to be time allotted to him to see how his arm fares with the workload of throwing.
Everything is all based on the endurance and conditioning of his repaired elbow. There is just so much variance with Purdy that it is practically impossible to envision him starting within the first few weeks of the regular season. It's nearly a guarantee that Lance will be the starter and it will remain that way until Purdy proves he is fine to handle a game workload.
Once Purdy is able to prove he is fine after some time, then it will all depend on how Lance is playing. He strings together a few poor starts that causes the 49ers to lose, then Kyle Shanahan will quickly make the change to Purdy. So long as Lance is playing well and the 49ers are winning, he will remain the starter. The opportunity is right there for Lance to take and maximize. Time to see what Lance can do and if he is able to make his starting role an indefinite one.
