The 49ers' quarterback uncertainty can be viewed as a problem, but the wealth of options they have at the position could also ultimately be to their benefit.

San Francisco, after ultimately losing all three quarterbacks who began the season on their depth chart to injury on their run to the NFC Championship Game, knows better than any team about the value of backup quarterbacks.

It isn't clear who the Niners' backup quarterback will be in 2023.

Brock Purdy, reportedly on track to recover in time for Week 1 following offseason elbow surgery, is expected to be the starter.

That will leave two former third overall picks, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold, to battle it out for the QB2 role.

Lance losing such a competition would likely be a death knell to his hopes of ever getting another shot to be San Francisco's long-term starter.

However, regardless of who wins the backup job, CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin believes the 49ers are in an excellent spot.

Benjamin ranked the Niners' backup situation as the best in the NFL. He wrote:

Both these vets are technically in the mix for the Day 1 starting job alongside Brock Purdy, 2022's star rookie. Purdy is the perceived front-runner if/when he's recovered from elbow surgery, however, leaving either Lance or Darnold to man the backup gig. The former is more of an unknown, making just four starts in two years due to injury, but his floor is relatively high considering his natural athleticism and rushing ability. Darnold, meanwhile, has been spotty in 55 career starts, albeit for rebuilding organizations, and figures to showcase his own arm in a more QB-friendly system. There probably isn't a QB room with more simultaneous question marks and collective upside than this one, and yet we trust whomever mans the No. 2 job to make noise in some way.

It is tough to argue with Benjamin's analysis. The main reason why the prospective No. 2 would be expected to excel is because of the quarterback-friendly nature of Kyle Shanahan's offense, which ranked fourth in Expected Points Added per play last season.

The Niners were first in EPA per play across the final five weeks of the regular season, when seventh-round pick Purdy was the starter, emphasising the ability of Shanahan to elevate his quarterbacks.

But it isn't all about Shanahan. Lance and Darnold each have assets throwing and running the ball, though the former is more dangerous in that regard.

Lance has limited experience but has proven he can come in and win a game as a backup. He did so as a rookie in 2021, albeit against a dismal Texans team. 

In that game, Lance, per rbsdm.com, had a completion percentage over expectation of 8.5, showing impressive accuracy while pushing the ball downfield. His average depth of target was 11.6 yards.

That is the kind of upside the 49ers have not had the chance to harness because of Lance's injuries.

Darnold has long since had tremendous upside as a thrower, but glimpses of it have been too sporadic since the Jets took him in 2018.

Last season, though, Darnold went 4-2 down the stretch after assuming the starting role for the Panthers in Week 12.

In that span, he led the NFL with a CPOE of 4.8. His composite EPA per play and CPOE score ranked fourth among quarterbacks with at least 100 plays.

It's still a mystery what Lance will develop into at the highest level, but the 49ers believe in his traits and, crucially, the person. Darnold is the quarterback the NFL cognoscenti can't quit, and his recent promising returns make a linkup with Shanahan all the more exciting. After helping the Panthers to a late-season surge, it's hardly a stretch to anticipate him succeeding with a team as talented as the 49ers.

The old adage is that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. The 49ers have three they are confident can start and win. Contrary to that conventional thinking instilled by John Madden, that is unquestionably a positive for San Francisco.

Trey Lance’s mindset will serve him well in 2023

The quarterback is excited for a potentially trying year.

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