What Happens Next Year?

 by Undercenter

We all know the story of the last few years. Jimmy Garoppolo was acquired from the New England Patriots for a second-round pick. He came in and dazzled us with wins in his first five games. All JimmyG does is win, when he did. JimmyG has taken the Niners within seven minutes of the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl with a 10-point lead. JimmyG has taken a lot of abuse for losing that game when in fact the defense let the team down. Last year JimmyG with an ailing shoulder and finger once again takes the Niners into the fourth quarter of the NFC title game with the lead. Once again, the defense came up short. That 2021 season was to be JimmyG last for the Niners as the team drafted a young promising but untested rookie Trey Lance. After all the losing seasons in this century it has been quite refreshing to win some games, JimmyG provided us with winning football. However JimmyG has a very serious flaw, availability hence the drafting of Lance.

The 2021 season ended and JimmyG said his goodbye's and had his surgery and had to rehab most of the off season at the Niner facility. As training camp opened JG was regulated to an off field to work out on his own. The Niners wanted desperately to oft JimmyG but there were no takers. JG was not given a playbook or worked out with the team during the whole training camp period.

The Niners are a billion-dollar corporation, and they handed the keys to a young unproven talent with a huge upside. Lance did not win the job it was given to him. Niners paid a huge price for this young man. He got hurt twice in his rookie year and as we all know how the second year went. I never saw anything from any of Lance's appearances that told me he was the franchise quarterback.

The Niners resigned JG to an incentive laden backup contract. A great move by the front office as we all know Lance broke his ankle and out for the year. The backup JG struggled first few games than caught. fire. He was looking really good than wham he breaks his foot. Wow, the Niners are down to their 3rd string QB, the last man taken in the 2022 draft, Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy.

Purdy quickly demonstrated that he was prepared for the moment, and it became apparent that the game wasn’t too big for him. He showed many of the traits that come with a successful quarterback,accurate arm, elusive, take charge, knowledge of the game, eye movement and exudes confidence. There are challenges that he needs to face such as coming from behind, two-minute drills, poor weather. The talk of the NFL has been about Brock Purdy. The experienced fan has witnessed many flashes in the pan, then those flashes come back to earth to never be heard of again. We have no idea how the career is going to go but it is off to a great start.

IMO, when Purdy takes the field, he exudes an “aire” that has only been replicated by one other Niner QB, the great Joe Montana.

Now, for shits and giggles what happens ‘if’ Purdy wins out to include the Super Bowl. Has he earned the starter role for 2023? If so, what happens to Lance? JimmyG has earned starter money and assuredly he will be gone but you never know. A key component that Shanny has alluded too was the fact that it was a smoother transition going from JG to Purdy then it was from Lance to JG. If Purdy wins the job, do you trade Lance and bring in a vet such at Matt Ryan? 

 This will never happen but in my opinion, Purdy is the starter, and the backup is JimmyG and trade Lance.  That would be a solid QB room.