Niners all but named Brock Purdy their 2023 starting QB. Is that a good move?

Is Brock Purdy the QB of the future in San Francisco?Javon Hargrave signs with 49ers

Bucky Brooks

NFL Analyst

When the San Francisco 49ers reconvene for offseason workouts and minicamps, the initial depth chart will read: Brock Purdy, QB1.

Though the second-year pro is recovering from an elbow injury that dashed the 49ers’ title hopes in the NFC Championship Game, the front office appears all-in on the former Iowa State standout after his impressive debut as an unlikely rookie starter.

“I think Brock has earned the right with the way he played that he’s probably the leader in the clubhouse at that,” Niners GM John Lynch said. “I’ll let Kyle [Shanahan] make those kinds of decisions, but I know when we talk, Brock has probably earned that right to be the guy. If we were to line up, he’d probably take that first snap.”

Considering how well Purdy played as the team’s starter, it is not surprising that he is the presumptive QB1 heading into the 2023 season. He led the 49ers to a 7-1 record after replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, who had replaced an injured Trey Lance early in the season. Purdy completed 67.1% of his passes with a 13-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 107.3 passer rating during the regular season (nine games). He continued to perform well in the playoffs, with a 65.1% completion rate and a 109.8 passer rating with three touchdowns and no interceptions in three games.

Those numbers are certainly impressive for a third-string quarterback thrust into a starting role on a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Purdy not only handled the pressure of performing well in big moments, but he also earned the trust and confidence of his teammates and coaches.

“The way he played, the way he processed, the way he led, it was very impressive,” Lynch said. “Yes, he’s done it for part of one year, but it’s not just that he did it but the way he did it. I think that gave a lot of confidence to everybody in our building. He earned that. … Is there room for growth? Absolutely. But he has left us all with a lot of confidence that he’s a real guy, and we’re excited about that.”

Given Purdy’s ascension to the QB1 role after starting his career as an afterthought, the last pick of the 2022 draft, the 49ers deserve credit for giving “Mr. Irrelevant” a legitimate chance to win the job as a long-term starter. Scouts can have a tough time moving beyond a player’s draft status when making personnel decisions, but the 49ers have no problems playing the best players regardless of status.

“We’ve always said we don’t care where you were drafted, if you were drafted,” Lynch said. “That’s always been our stance. It’s what we believe in. I think both things can be true. We’re still very excited about Trey but I think the way Brock played, he probably has earned that right to be the guy. But it’s certainly a competition; we’ll always have that. Again, these are decisions Kyle makes, but I know in our discussions, this is the way we’re talking.”

Is Brock Purdy the QB of the future in San Francisco?

Colin Cowherd reacts to 49ers GM John Lynch saying that Brock Purdy has “earned the right” to start at quarterback for San Francisco.

Speaking of competition, the 49ers’ infatuation with Purdy creates a dilemma with Lance on the roster. The third-year pro was a costly investment as the third overall pick in the 2021 draft. The 49ers are not only paying premium prices for a top-five pick, but they traded away three first-round picks to select their presumed quarterback of the future. Although the move can be chalked up to the cost of doing business, it is rare for a general manager and coach to survive a first-round quarterback mistake unless ownership embraces the “best players play” approach.

“I wouldn’t change anything about the decision with Trey,” 49ers’ CEO Jed York said at the NFL owners meetings this week. “I think Trey has a chance to be great. But it’s a bonus when you get somebody at the end of the seventh round that ends up coming in and being very impactful for your team.”

Although the original plan did not go according to script, the 49ers do not regret giving up prime draft picks to take a chance on a young quarterback.

“You can’t worry about, well, ‘Trey hasn’t played as many games as we would’ve liked,'” York said. “It’s not his fault. He got injured.

“When you look at when we drafted him, we wanted to make sure we had a young quarterback on a rookie contract that allows you to be able to say, ‘All right, Javon [Hargrave] is kind of a bonus.'”

Javon Hargrave signs with 49ers

DT Javon Hargrave signed a four-year, $84M deal with San Francisco following a Super Bowl appearance with the Eagles. Emmanuel Acho, LeSean McCoy, Will Blackmon and Ric Bucher grade each of the big free-agent moves.

The Niners’ philosophy of relying on quarterbacks on their rookie deals has allowed them to spend big at other positions, including signing free-agent Hargrave, one of the best interior pass rushers in the game. The 49ers’ willingness to play chess while others are playing checkers might have keyed their decision to add Sam Darnold to the rotation to create an interesting quarterback competition, particularly if Purdy remains sidelined into the start of the 2023 season.

The No. 3 overall pick from the 2018 draft was recently inked to a one-year, $4.5 million deal that allows him to reset his career after a topsy-turvy start. The sixth-year pro will enter the offseason penciled in as QB3, but a strong performance in camp could earn him a shot at the starting gig if Purdy is not ready for the season opener and Lance falters in the preseason.

“Sam has as good of a skill set as there is,” Shanahan said at the owners meetings. “That’s why he was the third pick the draft. … I don’t think he’s always been in the best situations, which is tough for quarterbacks.”

With Purdy slated as the QB1 and with a pair of top-five quarterbacks vying for a significant role in his absence, the 49ers have created real competition in a meeting room that rarely promotes a competitive environment.

As a franchise willing to play the best player regardless of draft status or contract size, the 49ers show the rest of the league that an “earned, not given” approach can work in a quarterback-driven league.

Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He regularly appears on “Speak For Yourself” and also breaks down the game for NFL Network and as a cohost of the “Moving the Sticks” podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.

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