The San Francisco 49ers have signed two highly talented quarterbacks in Brock Purdy and Trey Lance, who will compete with each other next season. Or will it all turn out differently?

The football fairytale of Brock Purdy came to a painful end. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback suffered an elbow injury in the NFC Championship Game. He will have to undergo surgery and will probably be out for about half a year.

This puts him in good company with the 49ers: fellow quarterback Trey Lance is suffering from his ankle fracture, which he suffered early in the season. At least the latter should be fit again for the coming season. Purdy’s road back is likely to be more protracted.

All the more reason to ask: Who will lead the 49ers at quarterback then?

Will it be 22-year-old Lance again, who was picked at No. 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft and was considered the future of this franchise? Or will it be 23-year-old Purdy, who was picked last at No. 262 in the 2022 NFL Draft and has been on a steep rise since early December?

Or will an entirely different playmaker take the reins in San Francisco?

The only thing that seems certain is that Jimmy Garoppolo has no future with the 49ers. His five-year, $137.5 million mega-contract is up. The 31-year-old can determine his own future as a free agent. It’s not likely to be in San Francisco.

San Francisco 49ers: The numbers are in Purdy’s favour

Purdy brings the winning mentality. Until the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had won all seven games as the starting quarterback. And who knows how that game against Philadelphia would have turned out had he not suffered the injury early in the game?

In nine total games, he threw 13 touchdown passes with four interceptions. His passer rating was 107.3, compared to Lance’s average rating of 84.5 in eight appearances. Only five touchdown passes were matched by three interceptions. Purdy completed 67.1 percent of his passes, Lance only 54.9 percent.

Basically, both found a perfect environment in San Francisco. Tight end George Kittle, running back Christian McCaffrey, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and pass receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are real weapons.

Especially since head coach Kyle Shanahan is a good playcaller who knows how to use all these strengths. The coach praises the fact that the young Purdy hardly made any mistakes despite his lack of experience: “What impressed me most was how well he handled the ball. “

Lance is many times more expensive than Purdy

Another argument in Purdy’s favour is that he has proven he can compete in the playoffs with wins over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys. Trey Lance would have to provide that proof first. Purdy is also extraordinarily cheap because of the late pick: He’s under contract for three more years at an average salary of $1,004,253 each.

With Lance, the 49ers still don’t really know how well he really works as a starting quarterback. In two seasons, Lance has only started four games and played 248 offensive snaps. But in return, he’s hitting the salary cap handsomely: Lance will collect $9.3 million in 2023 and $10.85 million in 2024.

An open competition between the two young passers would be possible. Purdy’s disadvantage here: he will probably miss most of the pre-season with an injury. A chance for Lance – or not?

It would also be possible to sign a top external star. Because one thing is clear: the 49ers are in win-now mode . The offence is loaded with weapons, and the defence was the best in the NFL in 2022 in terms of both yards allowed and points allowed. The title window is now open – the 49ers need to take advantage of it. They won’t be able to keep this squad together forever.

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers grew up as 49ers fans

With an elite quarterback, the 49ers would be an automatic title contender. Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson voices a suggestion on “ESPN Radio”: “There’s a guy in South Florida who’s 45 years old.”

Tom Brady is meant. If Johnson were in charge of the 49ers, “I’d have a conversation with him. I’d say, ‘Hey, you can ride off into the sunset with the same kind of team you had when you left New England and went to Tampa Bay. “

“Tom Brady’s his name. “@keyshawn has a recommendation for the 49ers QB for next year. KJM pic.twitter.com/BVzGaS8os4

– Keyshawn, JWill & Max (@KeyJayandMax) January 30, 2023

What’s in favour: Brady can choose his next employer as a free agent. The veteran grew up as a 49ers fan in California and used to attend many games of this franchise together with his father. There were already rumours of a possible switch last offseason.

Brady already has a personal connection to the 49ers: Brian Griese, the quarterbacks coach of San Francisco, was Brady’s quarterback colleague with the Michigan Wolverines.

Another big-name option would be Aaron Rodgers. Shanahan is known to have inquired about Rodgers’ availability as early as 2021. I wonder if he’ll take another shot.

Rodgers, like Brady, grew up in California as a 49ers fan. The problem: The 49ers’ cap space, which stands at $13,697,380, could stand in the way of such a commitment. Would a solution be found?

In any case, the 49ers should be in for an exciting offseason.