It's that time of the year where people are continually giving their guesses for the NFL season and how it will pan out. In a recent Pro Football Focus article, they did this for all of the NFC West.

The question that practically every fan has when you think of the San Francisco 49ers is, 'Who will end up as their starting QB?'

Not that long ago, the 49ers traded up in the NFL Draft in order to draft Trey Lance. In total, they traded swapped four picks, three of them being first round selections in order to secure him. 

Since that trade up he has thrown for just over 100 attempts; which is not exactly the number you want from a top-5 pick, who is expected to be your franchise QB of the future.

Lance had season-ending ankle surgery last year after he suffered the injury in a Week 2 win over the Seahawks. He was replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo, who also got hurt. That is when the story arc of Brock Purdy began.

Purdy was quite literally the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was selected 262nd earning him the title of Mr. Irrelevant. Purdy would end up leading the 49ers to the NFC Conference Championship game. They eventually lost to the Eagles, but getting to the NFCCG as a rookie -where the odds were against him to even make the team- is quite impressive.

Purdy got hurt during that game and had off-season surgery on his elbow. He recently returned to action for the 49ers.

In the 2022 season, he played well enough to where the 49ers have yet to answer the most important question heading into the 2023 season. The question being, who is their starting QB?

PFF gave a solution to the 9ers' problem. One of their bold predictions in the 2023 season, for the 49ers is that they would trade Trey Lance before the trade deadline. 

In his preseason debut against the Raiders, Lance looked hesitant and indecisive, in addition to his propensity for turnover-worthy plays. As soon as you considered it may be his supporting cast letting him down with backups in the game, Sam Darnold comes in and immediately drops a dime in the hands of his intended receiver for a big gain. At this point, Darnold looks like the better backup, which makes Lance trade bait.

If Lance is traded, it makes you think, 'What would his trade value even be?' A player with exciting tools is sure to generate more, however, a player who has had serious injuries is likely to bring in less.

If Lance isn't even playing during the season, why would a team even trade for him? At that point, he'd be a 1-1/2 year rental because no one is going to approve his fifth-year option after 2023, especially if he's acquired midseason. The chances of him learning a whole new offense (unless he goes to a coach from the Shanahan tree) and taking off midseason are slim to none. Unless the acquiring team needs a starting QB due to injury, they're going to have to wait on Lance to get acclimated to his new surroundings. 

The 49ers also don't want to traverse the same path they did last year, when even four QBs wasn't enough to get them through the year. At this point, it's safe to say Lance isn't getting traded. But at the same time, this is the NFL and anything is possible.

© Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports