NFL insider: 49ers could trade Trey Lance, start Brock Purdy or Tom Brady in 2023

NFL insider Jason La Canfora believes the San Francisco 49ers could look to trade quarterback Trey Lance this offseason. 

"This Brock Purdy thing doesn’t look like a fluke," La Canfora explained during an appearance on CBS Sports Radio’s "The Zach Gelb Show," per Audacy's Logan Mullen. "They’re going to want some veteran on that team, but I don’t know how that all shakes out. Obviously, Trey Lance, do they trade him? Some people I’ve talked to in this league think they will." 

Lance, San Francisco's Week 1 starter, went down with a season-ending ankle injury in September and has only thrown a total of 102 regular-season passes as a pro. Meanwhile, Purdy took over atop the depth chart after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a broken foot back on Dec. 4 and has been a revelation. 

Including this past Saturday's playoff victory over the Seattle Seahawks, Purdy has won his first six starts. According to ESPN stats, the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft posted the second-highest total QBR (89.5) of the wild-card round of the postseason tournament behind only Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys (96.5). 

As impressive as Purdy has been since early December, La Canfora linked the 49ers with none other than Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.

"That’s (Brady's) hometown team, he grew up cheering for them and his family is there," La Canfora mentioned. "But look, will it ultimately make football sense? (49ers head coach) Kyle Shanahan has wanted him before, will he want him now? I don’t know."

Shanahan hinted last month he regretted not signing Brady in March 2020 when numerous reports claimed TB12 wanted to play for the 49ers. There remain some in NFL circles who believe San Francisco could again take a flier on landing the 45-year-old, this time for the 2023 campaign. 

Brady and Garoppolo are set to hit free agency when the new league year opens in March, and Purdy theoretically could turn back into a pumpkin as soon as this Sunday when the 49ers host the Cowboys. Whatever happens between now and Super Bowl LVII, it seems both Garoppolo and Lance could be looking for new football homes this spring.