Brock Purdy did end up beating early post-surgery projections. The second-year quarterback’s previously reported plan to throw this week is a go, and John Lynch said no setbacks emerged after the session.

The 49ers will still be, understandably, proceeding cautiously with last year’s third-stringer-turned-starter. But Lynch said during a Sirius XM Radio appearance the team is “incredibly encouraged” by Purdy’s early recovery stages.

[RELATED: Trey Lance Not Considering Trade Request]

Last year’s Mr. Irrelevant underwent UCL surgery March 10, following a slight delay due to swelling, and his recovery timetable could run up against the 49ers’ regular-season opener. Should Purdy continue to progress and make it back in time, Lynch said he remains the “leader in the clubhouse” to start. Lynch, as expected, praised Trey Lance — who has taken the bulk of the 49ers’ first-team reps during OTAs thus far — and labeled the Purdy-Lance-Sam Darnold setup an open competition.

“Is it a flash in the pan or is it the real deal?” Lynch said, regarding Purdy (h/t The Athletic’s David Lombardi). “As we’ve gone back and studied it, he played at a high, high level. Not only played within the system, he made a lot of plays outside the system by extending plays. He showed tremendous playmaking ability. He showed tremendous ability to run the system efficiently, effectively, push the ball downfield — he just had an incredible first year.”

In not chasing an upgrade and letting Jimmy Garoppolo walk in free agency, the 49ers effectively showed that confidence in Purdy building on his stunning rookie-year form. The team did add Darnold but did so after Lance underwent a second ankle surgery. Darnold has also taken first-team reps during OTAs, per the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman, and represents a wild card of sorts given the advantages the Kyle Shanahan-orchestrated offense has on the Jets and Panthers’ attacks Darnold helmed during his first five seasons.

It will certainly be interesting to see if Darnold’s talent level begins to show during Purdy’s recovery, as he and Lance are currently slated to back up a former No. 262 overall pick. Purdy’s form once he receives full clearance will obviously bring attention, given the healthy options the 49ers now have at quarterback. For now, however, the 2018 and ’21 No. 3 draftees are in line for reserve roles — though, it will be difficult to envision either being a third-stringer in the event the 49ers keep all three come September.

After getting only four starts through his first two years in the NFL, 49ers quarterback Trey Lance is now eyeing a backup role heading into his third NFL season. Thanks to his presumed spot on the depth chart, a number of teams have checked on the availability of the former third-overall pick. However, despite the outside interest, Lance never thought of requesting a trade out of San Francisco.

“No, not at all,” Lance told reporters yesterday (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “I knew where I wanted to be. I just want an opportunity to compete. I love it here. I love the coaching staff. … Love the quarterback room, love the guys in the locker room. This is absolutely where I want to be.”

Injuries have limited Lance’s progress through his first two NFL seasons. He spent most of his rookie season as the backup to Jimmy Garoppolo, and after heading into the 2022 campaign as the clear starter, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. Since then, 2022 Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy took the job and ran with it, guiding the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game.

The team made it clear that they’ll have Purdy atop the QB depth chart when they start the regular season, and the organization also brought in some veteran depth in Sam Darnold. Despite the fact that he might not even be the 49ers’ second option at the position, Lance admitted that he’s actually enjoying playing football for the first time in a while.

“I really feel like I’m having fun playing football again,” Lance said. “It’s hard those first years, my first year and especially last year, I thought I’d be able to get close to that point of not having to be so stressed and worried and have a better understanding of offense and defense. And I finally feel like I’m able to just have fun and enjoy it again.

“Obviously, there are ups and downs. And there is stress and anxiety that comes with playing the position and playing football. But this is the best I’ve felt, for sure.”

Even with the added depth at the position, Lance isn’t doomed in San Francisco. Purdy is still recovering from UCL surgery, although Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the QB should be throwing by next week (per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter). It sounds like Purdy is a bit ahead of schedule, which is good news when it comes to his Week 1 availability. However, even a small setback could delay Purdy’s regular season debut, opening the door for a starting gig.

Per Rapoport, Lance has been taking the technical “first-team reps” at quarterback this week. However, Shanahan was quick to caution that this doesn’t mean a whole lot; Lance was playing with no offensive line and throwing to second- and third-string receivers. Ultimately, Rapoport believes there will be a real battle between Lance and Darnold for that QB2 (and potential QB1) role.

Swelling caused a delay in Brock Purdy‘s UCL recovery timetable, pushing his surgery back to mid-March. That has introduced uncertainty regarding Purdy’s Week 1 readiness, but the 49ers quarterback may be a bit ahead of schedule in his post-surgery path.

The 49ers expect their anticipated starter being ready to begin throwing next week, Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday. This does not necessarily mean Purdy will be ready by Week 1, as Shanahan previously expressed doubt about that. But the seventh-year 49ers HC said the team does not have any reason — as of now — to believe Purdy will not be in uniform when the regular season begins (Twitter links via NFL.com’s Taylor Bisciotti and ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). With the second-year passer previously not expected to begin throwing until June, this represents an early win for the 49ers.

This marks the second straight offseason in which a 49ers quarterback needed extensive rehab time before he could return to action. Jimmy Garoppolo spent months rehabbing a March 2022 shoulder surgery, throwing off a potential trade. Had Garoppolo not undergone that surgery, the 49ers likely would have traded their longtime starter. Trey Lance‘s preseason form and subsequent injury certainly made it wise the 49ers hung onto Garoppolo, but the injury-prone veteran’s foot fracture introduced Purdy to the NFL masses. Purdy’s late-season showing has effectively displaced Lance, leaving the former No. 3 overall pick in limbo. The 49ers denied they were shopping Lance ahead of the draft.

Shanahan has said Purdy’s recovery period opens the door for Lance to gain ground, but Sam Darnold is now in place as a potential stopgap starter. It will be interesting to see how Darnold and Lance perform this summer, as Purdy ramps up. Both No. 3 picks entered the league as far superior prospects compared to Purdy, making the latter’s form worth monitoring once he dons shoulder pads again.

Quarterback uncertainty has overshadowed just about every Shanahan-era San Francisco offseason. The team passed on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in 2017, eyeing a potential Kirk Cousins reunion in 2018. The Garoppolo trade and his 2018 extension created a smooth run-up to the ’18 season, but the ex-Patriot’s September ACL tear began a spree of injuries. Garoppolo recovered on time and piloted the 49ers to a Super Bowl LIV berth in 2019, but Tom Brady rumors emerged in 2020. Garoppolo then saw an ankle injury — amid an avalanche of maladies for the then-defending NFC champs — cut his 2020 slate short. The 49ers traded two future first-rounders for Lance, whose 2022 ascent to the starting role — after a few 2021 Garoppolo injuries — became cloudy after two ankle surgeries. Garoppolo has since signed a three-year, $72.75MM Raiders deal.

Lance has worked with QB coach Jeff Christensen this offseason, via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, which as apparently led to an improved throwing motion (subscription required). Per Christensen, Lance has thrown tighter spirals this offseason. Lance’s 2021 finger injury is believed to have lingered into 2022, but the one-year North Dakota State starter is now over that issue. Arm fatigue also plagued Lance in previous seasons, per Barrows, who adds Lance and Darnold are expected to share first-team reps this offseason.

At this point, Darnold would be a safer bet than Lance. But all three QBs throwing this summer could make this the most interesting offseason at the position during Shanahan’s tenure. That is a high bar to clear.

The 49ers view Brock Purdy as their optimal starter — when he’s healthy. As it will be a while before that is the case, the team has a backup plan. That might end up needing to carry over into the regular season.

Hopes Purdy can return in time for training camp may not be realistic. After John Lynch presented a more optimistic Purdy outlook, Kyle Shanahan brought up the initial timetable — a six-month rehab period — and added that the breakthrough passer may not be fully ready to go until October.

“I think it can go anywhere from six months to eight months, so it’s all open like that,” Shanahan said, via 49ersWebZone.com’s David Bonilla. I think we’ll have a better idea … they say at three months out of surgery, they have a better idea whether it’s going to be six months or eight months. So I don’t know.

“It might be Week 1. I think I’m hearing, at the latest, Week 4. But that’s just all estimations, and we’ll see what happens.”

It is premature to suggest Purdy will not be ready in time to start the season, but this is the first time a 49ers official has said last year’s Mr. Irrelevant might not be ready to play until potentially October. That leaves the door open for Trey Lance, but while the third-year passer is expected to be ready for OTAs, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link) Lance’s career arc points to Sam Darnold being the likely 49ers Week 1 starter.

A scenario in which Darnold opens the season as San Francisco’s starter would both represent another setback for Lance and open the door to more questions regarding this job, given Darnold’s draft pedigree (No. 3 overall in 2018) and experience advantage on Purdy. If Darnold is taking the snaps for the 49ers to start the season, will Lance be on the roster?

Both Shanahan and 49ers CEO Jed York defended the Lance maneuver — a trade-up that cost the 49ers their 2022 and ’23 first-rounders — this week, and the seventh-year HC said he wants to have Lance, Purdy and Darnold on the 53-man roster. The 49ers ran into historic injury trouble at quarterback last season, with Lance’s fractured ankle — which required two surgeries — starting that run of setbacks. As a result, Shanahan expects Lance to have a more difficult road to win this year’s starting job — after the team essentially handed it to him in 2022.

“I think it’s going to be harder for him, too,” Shanahan said of Lance moving back to first-string duty after missing 15 games last season. “I mean, Brock played in eight games, and Trey had that job going into last season. And if he would have played eight games like that, no one else would have been able to come in and beat him out. But with Brock being hurt, it does open [things] up, and it does give him a chance.”

Quarterback injury issues overshadowed four of the past five 49ers seasons, and Jimmy Garoppolo trade rumors hovered over the 2022 offseason. But the next several months present ingredients, especially with Darnold now in the mix, for the Shanahan-era Niners’ most complicated stretch at the position.

Before Brock Purdy‘s elbow injury, he was ticketed to be the 49ers’ clear-cut starter heading into the offseason program. Purdy’s UCL tear injected some uncertainty into this situation, but John Lynch still views last year’s Mr. Irrelevant as being ahead of the two former top-five picks on San Francisco’s roster.

Purdy’s stretch-run showing earned him the right to be the frontrunner for the 2023 starting job, Lynch said at the league meetings. The team has its 2022 Week 1 starter, Trey Lance, coming off ankle surgery and just signed Sam Darnold. But if all three are healthy at training camp, it will be Purdy opening with the 1s.

“I think Brock has earned the right with the way he played that he’s probably the leader in the clubhouse at that,” Lynch said, via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch. “I’ll let Kyle [Shanahan] make those kinds of decisions. But I know when we talk, Brock has probably earned that right to be the guy. If we were to line up, he’d probably take that first snap.”

Lance and Darnold will be healthy going into OTAs, though the former is coming off two surgeries to repair a fractured ankle. Purdy may not receive full clearance until September, which helped lead Darnold to San Francisco. Purdy, however, avoided Tommy John surgery and is expected to be ready to throw in early June, Branch adds. The second-year QB will undoubtedly be sidelined for San Francisco’s offseason program, but Lynch said the hope is he will be ready to go by training camp. That might be on the ambitious side, and if Purdy does return by the start of camp, all eyes will be on his form.

Lynch was careful to mention Lance is not out of the competition. The former No. 3 overall pick is slated to count $9.3MM against the 49ers’ cap this season. He has made four career starts and has finished just three games, submitting uneven work. The one-year North Dakota State starter may come up in trade rumors this offseason, with Darnold’s presence not guaranteeing Lance the 49ers’ backup job. How this offseason program unfolds may help determine Lance’s future.

“We like Trey on our team right now,” Lynch said when asked about Lance trade possibilities. “We always joke, Kyle and I, that we’d trade each other if someone would give us a good enough deal. So we listen to anything, but we like Trey on our team. We’re very excited about the way he’s progressing, about his opportunity. I think he’s chomping at the bit to get out there, get back under center and be healthy again.”

The 49ers, who sent the Dolphins two future first-round picks to move up to No. 3 for Lance in 2021, would be hit with just more than $5MM in dead money if they traded the third-year passer after June 1. They would obviously not receive close to the value they paid to draft the dual-threat talent; a sell-low trade here would close the book on a massive organizational draft blunder. But the team is still moving forward with its Purdy-Lance setup, with Darnold now in the mix as a much cheaper option compared to Jimmy Garoppolo.