Preceding the 2021 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers acquired quarterback Trey Lance by trading three first-round selections. With quarterback Brock Purdy leading the 49ers in Super Bowl preparation three years later, it seems Kyle Shanahan anticipated this event well in advance of everyone else.
At the start of his rookie season, Purdy—the 262nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft—was taken lightly. Despite spending his last two seasons as a first-team All-Big 12 quarterback at Iowa State, the 6-foot-1 quarterback fell to the last pick in the NFL Draft.
Lance was the starting quarterback for the 49ers going into the 2022 season, with Jimmy Garoppolo as his backup. Shanahan had his eyes on someone else, but everyone else was preoccupied with the position struggle between the highly paid veteran backup and the previous No. 3 selection.
Jed York, the CEO of the 49ers, has disclosed that he was informed of Purdy’s potential. The chief executive of San Francisco informed reporters on Thursday that Shanahan addressed him about the quarterback competition following a training camp session.
Despite starting the season as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, Lance had a difficult first week due to weather that felt like the monsoon. In Week 2, he sustained a season-ending injury that made Garoppolo fill in. Purdy got his shot after Garoppolo was injured in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, ending his season.
History is what’s left. Shanahan gave his seasoned quarterback a chance, though it’s probable that he would have even preferred for Purdy to start sooner in the 2022 campaign. One thing is certain: with Purdy spearheading the offence, the 49ers coach saw a definite future for the squad, and that vision has now materialised.
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