Who will be the 49ers’ starting QB next season? | Yahoo Fantasy Football Forecast

After a fantastic season from third-string QB Brock Purdy, Yahoo Sports’ Scott Pianowski and Frank Schwab discuss who could be under center in San Francisco next year.

Video Transcript

[AUDIO LOGO]

SCOTT PIANOWSKI: So here's the $64,000 question, Frank Schwab-- who's the quarterback for the 49ers next year?

FRANK SCHWAB: I mean-- and we're taping this on at least Monday morning for me, Monday early afternoon for you. We haven't heard if we got the results of Brock Purdy's MRI. And we're both baseball guys. We know a UCL is oh, no. This is bad news, especially for a guy who throws a ball for a living. If he's torn that, and he needs surgery, whether it's Tommy John or something similar, it wipes out next season for him, probably? I guess.

Like, we don't see this often from quarterbacks. I do believe Ben Roethlisberger dealt with this his second to last season. He had a similar injury, needed a total reconstruction there. And he missed the rest of that season, and really didn't look the same after that. And so Purdy, who doesn't-- I mean, he's obviously not the strongest arm in the world-- comes back from elbow surgery like that? Like, we have to see where it is with Purdy.

Let's say-- I think if he comes back, he's their quarterback. I think if this is a six-week injury, two-month injury, whatever it is, if he's able to be 100% by training camp, opening day, he is their starting quarterback week 1. He's just done too much. They trust him, whatever.

The question is, what happens if he's not? What happens if he can't answer the bell week 1 for the regular season because of this UCL? I don't know what they do. I really don't.

I was talking to Charles Robinson on our pod last night. And he said basically the trust level in Trey Lance around the 49ers is as low as it can get. Like, it just doesn't sound like that's the answer they want on opening day next year for whatever reasons-- injury, just that he hasn't played a lot, whatever it is.

Do they go out and get a vet? I mean, does Jimmy G come back? I don't know. I don't have a great answer. Charles brought up the Tom Brady possibility. Like, maybe. I could see it. It's a perfect situation--

SCOTT PIANOWSKI: Wouldn't that be perfect?

FRANK SCHWAB: --just like Tampa was.

SCOTT PIANOWSKI: I mean, Brady goes back to San Francisco, right? He grew up a 49er fan. I think he was at The Catch game, right?

FRANK SCHWAB: Yep, yep, he was at The Catch. So I don't know. Your answer is Purdy if he's healthy. If Purdy's not healthy, I have no idea. And it's such an important thing because think about it, all these guys we're going to be drafting.

And I mean, I guess some of them are quarterback independent. Like, they're going to be good whoever is at quarterback. McCaffrey is going to be a beast. Kittle is awesome. Deebo, Aiyuk, all these guys are phenomenal. And you're going to draft them regardless.

But depending on our answer at quarterback-- I mean, C-Mac might be the first pick, first running back, at least. But if we don't really know who his quarterback is, if it's Trey Lance again-- I like Trey Lance, but who knows? All of a sudden, you're like, hmm, maybe I draft a receiver here instead of McCaffrey. I mean, stuff like that will shift it a little bit.

Who do you think? I guess I don't know if you agree with me. Purdy's our guy if he's healthy. But if he's not, who do you like?

SCOTT PIANOWSKI: I do agree with you. I do think Purdy's the guy if he's healthy. And I think if he's not healthy, they go outside. I could see Brady coming here. Maybe they talk to Derek Carr or something like that.

The thing is, this is a team-- and obviously, they're going to lose Ryans, their great defensive coordinator. But this is the team that's built to go deep in the playoffs again, that could easily be a final four team again next year. So they need to get this right, which is why I don't think they take the bait with Trey Lance, who-- it's just crazy that he has not played a meaningful football season since 2019.

FRANK SCHWAB: I know. I know.

SCOTT PIANOWSKI: And in football years, that feels like a decade ago, right? I mean, he hardly plays in 2020. It's a COVID year. He's playing at a substandard level of competition in college, anyway. And then he's had two injury washout years with the Niners. We have no idea.

And he was a speculation pick to begin with. He was a development pick to begin with. It wasn't like he came into the NFL a finished product-- not to commoditize him, but you know what I mean. We have no idea if Trey Lance is going to be a good pro.

And the Niners, as you said, not only did they not know it, but it sounds like what Charles, the intel he's getting, is that they're concerned about-- I'd be shocked if Trey Lance was their opening day starter. I think it's certainly somebody other than him.

FRANK SCHWAB: And you just wonder what happens to Trey Lance at that point. Like, keep him around as a high-level backup and see what clicks? Because if any team knows about the value of backup quarterbacks, it's the 49ers.

They're not just giving guys away. They know we might need Trey Lance as our backup. And he's not making a ton of money relative to the market. So I would assume he's around as their backup, and they just see where it goes. But I agree with you. I don't know necessarily it's Trey Lance on opening day, regardless of who it is.

But it's hard to find a quarterback. Yeah, I mean, Brady sounds great. Brady's 46 next year, you know? I mean, if it's Derek Carr-- other teams want Derek Carr. If the Jets can't get Aaron Rodgers, they want Derek Carr. It's just going to be very, very interesting to see how this plays out.

And it has so many different ramifications for the rest of the 49ers skill guys, as far as it goes in fantasy. Like, yeah, I'm going to draft Deebo Samuel either way because Deebo Samuel is one of those transcendent players. But I do want some confidence in this quarterback. I do want to know that, yeah, whoever's playing quarterback can get him the ball. And we just don't know who that quarterback's going to be.

SCOTT PIANOWSKI: Let's remember, though, they made it work with Purdy, who was Mr. Irrelevant, seventh round pick, who was nobody's idea of a prospect. Nobody knew who Brock Purdy was, basically two months ago. He was just a clipboard carrier. And then he goes on this-- and he was good enough.

And it's not like-- even now, I've found myself won over by Purdy. But it's not like I expect this guy to have, like, a 12-year career and go to, like, five Pro Bowls. I still don't really know how good Brock Purdy is.

So I think the system is almost quarterback-proof because of Shanahan's so good, and the skill-- more importantly-- not to put down Shanahan, but you need players in the NFL. And the Niners just-- it's a luxury SUV that you're sitting in. You're sitting in the captain's chair.