Lance trade highlights 49ers’ trust in Purdy, Darnold

Lance trade highlights 49ers’ trust in Purdy, Darnold originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

In a whirlwind week for the 49ers’ quarterbacks room, Trey Lance’s departure signals the club’s belief in Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold.

As much as the 49ers’ brass wanted to see the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft succeed in the Bay Area, Purdy did enough in his eight starts as a rookie to send Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.

Purdy won eight straight starts after taking over the helm for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13 of the 2022 NFL season. Coach Kyle Shanahan and the locker room never looked back.

Even after rupturing his ulnar collateral ligament in the NFC Championship Game in January, the 49ers vowed Purdy would be starting under center again once healthy.

With Lance still on the roster, the 49ers brought in reinforcements during the offseason by adding quarterback Sam Darold to the mix. The 26-year old was drafted as the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. In 2021 the USC product was traded to the Carolina Panthers where he spent two seasons prior to his arrival in the Bay Area.

While Darnold might not have the most successful record as a starter (21-34), he impressed the 49ers’ brass enough to win the backup role behind Brock Purdy. On Friday evening in the club’s final preseason matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, the quarterback showed his impressive arm talent.

Darnold fired off a deep 34-yard pass to the right sideline in the perfect spot for receiver Chris Conley to haul in. Later in the game, the quarterback found closely covered veteran receiver Willie Snead IV in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

The 49ers’ quarterback room is rounded out by 30-year-old Brandon Allen, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals, who saw a heightened amount of reps at the beginning of training camp. While at the time it seemed like an unbalanced distribution, there seems to have been a reason behind it. Purdy was not yet back to full strength, and the club wanted to see what the veteran was capable of.

After a season when the 49ers saw four different quarterbacks under center in 2022, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch understand the importance of having a reliable backups at the ready.

Trading Lance to the Cowboys signals they believe they have what they need in Purdy, Lance and Allen.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast