Quarterback luck killed the San Francisco 49ers’ chance at a Super Bowl appearance last season. The 49ers may have found their third-string quarterback (and former Mr. Irrelevant), Brock Purdy, to be their best option for the future. However, Purdy was injured in the NFC Championship Game. His replacement, fourth-string quarterback Josh Johnson, was unable to perform against the Philadelphia Eagles as well as backups Jimmy Garoppolo, and Purdy had done for their initial starter during the season, Trey Lance–who was injured in Week 2.
Purdy’s rehab timeline has recently sparked conversation that Aaron Rodgers (one of — if not the — greatest Green Bay Packers of all time ) could be an option for the 49ers this offseason as trade talks cool off between the New York Jets an)d Green Bay Packers.
The San Francisco 49ers aren’t sure when Purdy can play again
49ers general manager John Lynch said during the League Annual Meeting that Purdy earned the right to defend the starting job next season. That was a strong endorsement for a 2022 seventh-round pick who was drafted to be 2020 first-round pick Lance’s backup. However, Purdy’s health for the season is under question. According to a report by Jori Epstein with Yahoo Sports, Purdy recently said he didn’t know if he could play for the 49ers next season:
“That remains an early step in recovery, Purdy saying Friday he’s “not really sure, honestly” whether he’ll play in 2023 as he takes it “one day at a time.” In recent days, progress has come in the form of increased mobility.”
Aaron Rodgers is an option for the 49ers
Rodgers’ name has gained more traction with the 49ers in recent days. The Jets and Packers can’t seem to agree on compensation for the 39-year-old quarterback. The 49ers, like the Jets, are in win-now mode. The 49ers have an elite defense and playmakers on the offense. A quarterback like a healthy Rodgers could have made their NFC title game against the Eagles much different. They have to be thinking about every option to win this season, and Rodgers would help them if Purdy can’t play.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said he could see Rodgers playing for the 49ers. Kyle Crabbs and Joe Marino talked about the 49ers’ predicament on their Locked on NFL Scouting podcast. Marino said Rodgers’ history with the state of California would make the 49ers an attractive option for next season:
“Would Rodgers rather go to the Jets or the 49ers? He played his college ball at Cal, he prefers the west coast, seems like that’d probably be pretty attractive to him.”
The Jets and Packers make the most logical sense at this time for a Rodgers deal. The 49ers are a conference rival, and the Jets have been preparing for Rodgers by 49 players and coaches he’s familiar with. But if the 49ers were willing to offer a higher price than the Jets, it wouldn’t seem off the table for the Packers. After all, the team is ready to move on to Jordan Love.
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