Analyzing the Final Day of the 2023 49ers QB Competition, and Why Trey Lance No Showed

SANTA CLARA -- Here's what Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, Brandon Allen and Trey Lance did on the final day of 49ers training camp.

TREY LANCE

Didn't show up, and the 49ers didn't say why, so I have to speculate. Before practice, news broke that Sam Darnold is the No. 2 quarterback and Trey Lance is the No. 3. I'm guessing Lance requested a trade and the 49ers are trying to give him what he wants. That's why he can't practice -- he can't risk getting injured. Yesterday, we asked Kyle Shanahan who the No. 2 quarterback will be, and he declined to name one and said that both Darnold and Lance could rotate as the backup this year. Keep in mind, Darnold and Lance have the same agent. It's possible the agent called Shanahan yesterday and told him to pick one of the quarterbacks to be the backup, and so Shanahan picked Darnold, and now the 49ers have to trade Lance. It's also possible Shanahan named Darnold the backup last night, Lance got upset and requested a trade, the 49ers said okay they'll try but won't actually trade him, because it's highly possible the 49ers will receive zero trade offers for Lance this late in the offseason -- how could he possibly learn another team's playbook in two and a half weeks? -- and he'll be back with the team next week. Stay tuned.

BROCK PURDY

Finished the practice 11 for 12, which means he completed almost all of his dinks and dunks. He dinked to the left. He dunked to the right. He even completed one long pass to George Kittle up the left sideline. Purdy did all the things we already know he can do.

SAM DARNOLD

Rewarded the 49ers' confidence in him by completing 4 of 8 passes. This proves Darnold is much better than Lance, who completed 4 of 8 passes yesterday. Sure, Darnold was no better today in the stat sheet, but it's the way he completes 50 percent of his passes that sets him apart from Lance. Darnold is just so much more smooth and polished when he's playing poorly than Lance, who sometimes plays poorly and sometimes plays well. Darnold just plays poorly all the time, so you can count on him, and that's why he won the competition.

BRANDON ALLEN

It doesn't matter what Brandon Allen did.