San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle has spoken honestly about the team’s current quarterback situation.
The 49ers have three QBs as part of their locker room going into the 2023 regular season, with it yet to be fully established who will be the starter. Jimmy Garoppolo has left San Francisco to join the Las Vegas Raiders, but there is still plenty of depth at quarterback.
Brock Purdy worked his way to becoming the 49ers’ starting quarterback, but suffered a serious elbow injury in the NFC Championship game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. After undergoing surgery on a torn ulnar collateral ligament, Purdy has gradually been stepping up his recovery in a bid to get ready for the new season.
Also in the 49ers locker room is Trey Lance, who was drafted with the number three overall pick in 2021. He is yet to be given a regular spell as the team’s starting QB, but will have hopes that 2023 could see that become a reality.
In March, the 49ers signed Sam Darnold on a one-year deal following his release from the Carolina Panthers. Now that leaves the roster having three QBs at head coach Kyle Shanahan ’s disposal, but it has yet to be fully established who will start the Week One opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 10.
Kittle, who himself is about to enter his seventh season with the 49ers, has spoken about the QB situation within the organisation. The tight end has praised each of Purdy, Lance and Darnold, and says that whoever gets the nod to be the starter will be a good option for the team.
"Yes, having a fantastic quarterback will help us out a lot because it's the most important position in probably sports," Kittle told NFL Network ’s Good Morning Football.
"But, we have three or four guys right now that can sling the ball a little bit. Brock Purdy went on an 8-0 tear last year. So, hopefully, he is feeling better and back to his normal self.
“Trey Lance is taking steps forward, I think he's more than suitable to play quarterback for us. He had some great reps at OTAs and we connected on a couple big plays. He connected with Aiyuk on a couple big plays.
“Then, Sam Darnold he threw some good balls, too. He connected on big plays with Aiyuk and with me and other tight ends. The quarterbacks will get some reps in this training camp, get a feel for everybody and let's just go play some football."
Kettle’s comments echo the same views of two of his teammates. It was only last month when running back Christian McCaffrey spoke about the uncertainty around the QB situation with the 49ers.
McCaffrey was forced to step in to be a makeshift quarterback in the NFC Championship game following the injury to Purdy and back-up Josh Johnson suffering a concussion. Now that there will be more options available, McCaffrey spoke about the strength in depth that the team now has available.
"For me, no matter who the quarterback is, I have to get open,” McCaffrey told Rich Eisen on the Rich Eisen Show in May. “I'm not thinking about the quarterback. I'm thinking about getting open, hitting the right holes, doing my job. Otherwise, it doesn't matter.
"And I think everybody has that mentality. It's do your job, do it at the highest level. I'm not a quarterback evaluator. People ask me all the time, how's the quarterback? I have no idea. I don't know mechanics. I have no idea how to evaluate quarterbacks. But what I do know is all three of them are amazing. All three of them are great options.
"I talk about Brock and what he did last year, and not just how he played, but the way he carried himself. He's built to be a quarterback in this league.
"I didn't get to play with Trey last year, but from what I've seen so far, Trey has been great. He's been awesome. And obviously, I've played with Sam, and I know what Sam can do, and seeing all the things that he's been doing this OTAs, too. I think, for us, it's nice knowing that we have three great options.
"And like I said, I don't know who the quarterback is going to be. And frankly, my job is just to be as ready to go as I can for whoever it is. But I just know that we're in good hands no matter what. And I pray to God I don't have to play quarterback again."
Deebo Samuel is another player to have said similar views about the QB situation with the 49ers. The wide receiver praised the organisation’s front office for working to make sure the team is in a strong position to try and win a championship in 2023.
“I mean the people upstairs from John Lynch and company. Brock (Purdy) is still recovering from his surgery,” Samuel told Complex in May. “Trey (Lance) is fully healthy. We went and got another quarterback in Sam Darnold. That was the only piece we were missing.
“If we had another quarterback, we would’ve been alright. In that situation, what could you do? The front office is doing a good job of making sure we’ll be alright."
