Kyle Shanahan: 49ers QB situation “not set in stone”

Brock Purdy. Trey Lance. Sam Darnold. Each of the three prime candidates to be the starting quarterback for the 49ers in 2023 have been the focus of rumors this offseason. It just depended on the day and which NFL “insider” was talking. Kyle Shanahan sat down with Steve Wyche of NFL Network at the NFL Owners Meetings in late March and laid out his teams’ quarterback situation. “We have three…

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Steve Young on Brock Purdy, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold

Discussions about the 49ers this offseason have all revolved around the quarterback position. Last week Steve Young sat down with Matt Maiocco for the 49ers Talk Podcast. Who better to break down the quarterback controversy than a Hall of Famer who has been through one himself. Here is what Young had to say about each of the three quarterbacks. Brock Purdy “We have this incredible, unique human being named Brock…

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This 49ers offensive player will make the year two leap in 2023

The 49ers have seen several players make major improvements in their second season under Kyle Shanahan. George Kittle and Fred Warner made the year two leap in 2018 and 2019. Last season saw guard Aaron Banks step into the starting lineup and Talanoa Hufanga be named First Team All-Pro. Coming off a season that saw them lead the league in points allowed, the 49ers defense is undergoing a transition in…

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Former 49ers Quarterback Alex Smith on Brock Purdy, “He’s got it.”

Alex Smith is a fan of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and believes in what the team has done at the quarterback position. Smith has worked the last couple years as an analyst for ESPN. The former 49ers quarterback was in Lake Tahoe over the weekend to play in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament. During a break in the action, he joined Matt Maiocco for the 49ers Talk…

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2023 49ers Offense: Will Brandon Aiyuk Steal the Spotlight from Deebo Samuel?

While the 49ers quarterback position has been the primary focus this offseason, those debates often miss how talented the rest of the offense is. San Francisco is loaded at the skill positions, especially wide receiver. In Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers have two of the best receivers in the NFL. For San Francisco, Samuel is 1A while Aiyuk is 1B when it comes to their importance to the…

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Deebo Samuel on 49ers quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Trey Lance

Brock Purdy. Trey Lance. The 49ers offseason has been dominated by questions about the quarterback situation. On Monday Deebo Samuel joined the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. By now, most have heard the clip where the 49ers receiver abruptly ends the interview. However, prior to ending the discussion Samuel made some interesting comments regarding Purdy and Lance. When you look at your QB roster right now, that’s been…

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How Kyle Shanahan can help Deebo Samuel bounce back in 2023

Deebo Samuel had one of the best receiving seasons in 49ers history in 2021. To say he followed it up with a down year would be putting it nicely. “It was awful in every way,” Samuel told the Bay Area media of his performance in 2022. A lengthy contract dispute which lasted into training camp played a large part in the decline. When the team reconvened to start the offseason…

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Three things 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy does well

Brock Purdy has blown away all expectations for the final pick in the 2022 draft. We recently looked at areas Purdy can improve for 2023. Today we take a look at what the 49ers quarterback does well. Intermediate Passing There has been a lot of talk this offseason regarding Purdy’s arm strength. Let’s face it, he’s never going to launch a pass sixty plus yards down the field like Josh…

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Three areas 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy must improve in 2023

Nearly every story about how Brock Purdy performed during his rookie season is filled with superlatives. The final pick in the 2022 draft, Purdy took over as the 49ers starting quarterback after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo were lost to injury. The Iowa State product proceeded to make the most of his opportunity. Purdy’s performance over the final six weeks of the regular season was so impressive that he was…

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Comparing Brock Purdy, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold

  Brock Purdy. Trey Lance. Sam Darnold. Choose your fighter. The main three combatants in the 49ers quarterback competition have drawn a wide range of reactions from fans this offseason. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan put the situation into perspective on the first day of OTAs. “We have two guys (Trey Lance and Sam Darnold) who are talented enough to be taken in the top five of the draft…

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Three things 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold does well

Sam Darnold has not performed to expectations of a player taken third overall throughout the first five seasons of his NFL career. His weaknesses are well known. Let’s mix it up by looking at what Darnold does well. Athleticism Sam Darnold’s ability to use his legs jumps off the screen when watching his NFL film. This fits well with the 49ers offense under Kyle Shanahan. Whether it’s moving around to…

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Three areas Sam Darnold must improve to win 49ers quarterback job

The smoke from outside the 49ers organization regarding Sam Darnold keeps growing. From the moment San Francisco signed Darnold on day one of free agency, there has been speculation about his potential role with the team. On Monday, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated joined Colin Cowherd on “The Herd” to discuss the latest NFL news. Near the end of the conversation Breer was asked about the 49ers quarterback situation. “I…

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49ers Mailbag: Will Brock Purdy’s production stay the same in 2023?

  On Monday I took to Twitter for questions to use in a 49ers mailbag. As always, The Faithful did not disappoint. Can you guarantee Brock Purdy will have the same type of production as last year? It seems the expectation is 30 plus points per game when he comes back. – John Christopher, @itzJChristopher There is obviously no guarantee the 49ers will be able to maintain averaging at least…

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Brock Purdy takes next step toward week one return for 49ers

Brock Purdy continues to make strides as he works to return from the torn ulnar cruciate ligament in his throwing elbow suffered during the NFC championship game in late January. On Monday, NFL Network insider Tom Peliserro reported Purdy was heading to Jacksonville to throw over the next couple weeks with his quarterback coach and a specialist. This follows the plan laid out by the 49ers quarterback when he met…

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Three areas Trey Lance must improve to win 49ers quarterback job

From the moment Trey Lance was taken third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, he has been at the center of nearly every discussion about the San Francisco 49ers. Lance going down to injury early in week two followed by Brock Purdy’s emergence late in the season led to many debates. The signing of Sam Darnold and subsequent suggestions of a possible Trey Lance trade has taken the discourse about…

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Three questions Kyle Shanahan must get right in 2023

There are several questions 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan must answer correctly in 2023. Let’s get right into it. 1.) Can he keep his starting quarterback healthy? Everything starts here. San Francisco goes into this season with one of the best rosters in the league. That likely won’t matter if Shanahan can’t keep his quarterback healthy. Four of the last five Super Bowls have been won by teams whose quarterback…

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Why the 49ers top ranked defense could be even better in 2023

How can you improve when you’re already number one? It’s easy to understand why observers would question the 49ers emphasis on improving their defense. After all, this unit finished 2022 at the top of the NFL. During the 49ers State of the Franchise event Thursday afternoon, general manager John Lynch described the holistic approach the team used to identify its primary focus for offseason improvement. “Kyle (Shanahan) does something that’s…

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George Kittle expects Brock Purdy to be the 49ers week one starter

Add George Kittle to those who expect Brock Purdy to line up behind center week one for the 49ers when they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. On Tuesday, Kittle joined the Dan Patrick Show to promote Tight End University which takes place next week in Nashsville. During the conversation Patrick took the opportunity to ask Kittle if he expects Purdy to start week one. “Oh yeah,” said Kittle. “You win…

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Mailbag: Which big name will the 49ers miss this season?

Over the weekend I took to Twitter for question to use in a 49ers mailbag. As always, The Faithful did not disappoint. Which big name will the 49ers miss the most this season? – andrewh, @ahredsox1 The biggest loss for the 49ers this offseason was Mike McGlinchey. The veteran right tackle struggled at times in pass protection but was better than many believe. McGlinchey’s replacement, Colton McKivitz hasn’t played much…

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