49ers not as vulnerable in division as some may think heading into 2023
There is one huge question everyone has for the 49ers that they think could be holding the team back, but one analyst seems to think it doesn't matter. The 49ers have an issue, and while they may figure it out fairly quickly when OTAs or mandatory minicamp starts, it is still something to talk about […]
There is one huge question everyone has for the 49ers that they think could be holding the team back, but one analyst seems to think it doesn't matter.
The 49ers have an issue, and while they may figure it out fairly quickly when OTAs or mandatory minicamp starts, it is still something to talk about right now. The 49ers don't currently know who their 2023 quarterback will be, and that isn't good.
For Purdy, he will still be recovering from the same injury that he got against Philadelphia. Trey Lance hasn't played much football at all, and Sam Darnold is now on his third team and none have seemed to work out.
So, naturally, that sounds like an issue that could turn into something that makes the 49ers vulnerable in their division, right? No. One NFL analyst seems to think that doesn't have too much of an effect on the 49ers winning the NFC West.
49ers (NFC West) 2022 record: 13-4 | Division title streak: 1 season
The QB uncertainty is a big X-factor here: Is it Brock Purdy, Trey Lance, or Sam Darnold in Week 1? And what about from there? Not a single one of those guys is guaranteed to match the 2022 production of Purdy and/or Jimmy Garoppolo, due to varying circumstances. Yet Kyle Shanahan's still got plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball, his system has proven relatively QB-proof before, and most importantly, only the Seahawks register as a true rival to be reckoned with. The Rams still have Sean McVay guiding Matthew Stafford, but they're admittedly retooling; the Cardinals, meanwhile, are even deeper into rebuild mode. -Dalton Wasserman and Jim Wyman, PFF
At the same time, it isn't a bad thing. They could have a three-quarterback dual because all three guys they have on the roster can play ball. They have a good problem, so it isn't anything that will take them out of contention for the first seed or even winning the NFC West.
As the analyst stated, the 49ers and Seahawks are really the only two teams vying for the top spot in the division, and while the Seahawks did get better, so did the 49ers. And, let's not forget last season when they met in the postseason. This team isn't very vulnerable in their division at all.
