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Most figured the San Francisco 49ers were merely aiming for depth and insurance when they signed free agent quarterback Sam Darnold this offseason.
He has apparently been third on their depth chart behind Brock Purdy, the incumbent starter who is recovering from a torn UCL in his throwing elbow, and Trey Lance.
But a few people feel there may be a window for Darnold to claw his way into the starting QB spot this season.
In fact, Ross Tucker says the 49ers like Darnold more than Lance, via 95.7 The Game.
“It’s clear from anyone you talk to, that the 49ers like Sam Darnold more than Trey Lance, which I think is pretty alarming.”@RossTuckerNFL with @egiddings10 on @the415ers.
Full episode: https://t.co/4uG7bYECti pic.twitter.com/98qqDIzAVQ
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) July 13, 2023
Tucker seems to feel San Francisco went out and got Darnold to be their main backup and that they have soured on the development of Lance.
They traded plenty of capital in order to draft Lance in 2021, and prior to last season, they named him their starter ahead of veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.
He played one-and-a-half games and provided mixed results before a severe ankle injury prematurely ended his season in Week 2.
Once Garoppolo went down with his own season-ending injury in Week 13, Purdy, the last player taken in the 2022 draft, took over and played brilliantly the rest of the way.
Many still feel Lance has plenty of potential, but he has yet to show he can be consistently accurate with simple reads and short-to-intermediate passes.
On the other hand, he hasn’t played a lot of organized football going back to his days at North Dakota State University, as he lost almost a full season there due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Niners are in win-now mode, so they do not have the luxury of being able to develop someone such as Lance over the next few years.
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