A day off for 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy means the microscope focuses in on the backup QB competition between Trey Lance and Sam Darnold.
With Purdy on the sideline with scheduled off day, the 49ers illustrated how nothing has moved in the backup QB competition.
While Darnold was the first QB in with the starting group, he wound up splitting the reps evenly with Lance.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner had both Darnold and Lance grabbing 10 first-team reps, and 10 second-team reps.
All of the third-team work went to Brandon Allen who isn’t making any progress in working his way into the backup competition. It looked early like he might push his way into the mix, but there’s no indications based on practice that he’ll be a factor in the QB2 battle.
Reports from camp indicate neither Darnold nor Lance did anything to separate themselves with their first-team reps. Wagoner had Lance at 8-of-12 overall while Darnold finished 7-of-12. Matt Barrows of the Athletic noted that Darnold started hot and finished slow, while Lance did the opposite with a slow start and strong finish.
The takes on a specific QB’s play might differ depending on the person watching and evaluating, but it’s clear for now that the 49ers backup QB battle continues to sit at a stalemate.
