A 49ers QB saga that’s been a whirlwind under Kyle Shanahan enters perhaps its most interesting chapter – a three-horse competition for the starting job between Brock Purdy, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold.
Any QB could realistically take the reins, have a great season and perhaps even win a Super Bowl. Yes, picture it. Super Bowl-winning QB Sam Darnold.
It’s a bold statement to type out, but based on the 49ers’ success under Kyle Shanahan without a franchise QB, anything is possible.
San Francisco has reached the NFC Championship Game three times under Shanahan despite volatility at the position. The 49ers are the third team in NFL history to reach three conference championship games in a four-season span without a QB making the Pro Bowl. Usually runs like that are reserved for likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Patrick Mahomes.
It’s really impressive what San Francisco has done. The 1994-97 Steelers and 2011-14 49ers also did this. Like this 49ers team, both those teams failed to win a Super Bowl during those runs.
San Francisco won 15 games last season, including playoffs. The 1998 Falcons and 2016 Patriots are the only teams to ever win more in a season while starting at least three different QBs.
The historic company sheds light on two things. The 49ers roster is so loaded and Shanahan has such a good system that they can win games with just about anyone at QB, even the last pick of the draft.
But their success without a great QB is also alarming. If they’d found a franchise QB by now, how many Super Bowls would they have won? At least one, right? That’s been the struggle for San Francisco for over two decades. Believe it or not, they haven’t had a QB make the Pro Bowl since Jeff Garcia in 2002. That’s hard to do, especially in today’s game when they are practically giving away Pro Bowl selections. Tyler Huntley was an injury replacement to the Pro Bowl last year.
It’ll be fascinating to see if any of the 49ers’ three quarterback options emerges to be “the guy.” Purdy will have the first crack at QB1 after “Mr. Irrelevant” mania swept the nation in 2022. If he should struggle or get hurt, Lance and Darnold will be waiting in the wings. Based on last season when San Francisco’s four quarterbacks all finished the season with an injury, it’s all hands on deck.
The stakes are high. If the 49ers get over the Super Bowl hump with Purdy, it’s one of the best stories in NFL history. On the flip side, if they get nothing from Lance after investing three first-round picks, it’s a dark cloud over the Lynch and Shanahan era.
Right now, there’s a lot of pressure on Shanahan to find a long-term option at QB and win the big game. If not, his reputation as an offensive mastermind will simply be a footnote to this. The 49ers were always a QB away from winning a championship.
