Sam Darnold starting for 49ers Week 1 continues to gain steam

San Francisco 49ers fans probably should prepare for Sam Darnold to win the starting quarterback job over Trey Lance this summer.

"The Sam Darnold signing is really interesting to a lot of teams I talk to," ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported during a "SportsCenter" segment on Tuesday, as shared by Justin Terranova of the New York Post. "They believe that Sam Darnold is going to push for meaningful snaps with this team as early as Week 1. They believe his major talent has gone largely untapped. Maybe the 49ers can bring something out of him." 

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport mentioned in March he thought at that time Darnold "will more likely than not be the starter going into the season." 

Former quarterback and current NFL Network personality David Carr later said that he "wouldn't be surprised if Sam starts Week 1" at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 10. 

Earlier this month, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area referred to Darnold as perhaps "the most talented thrower of the football that the 49ers have ever had." 

Lance, the third-overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, is an unproven product who has only attempted 102 career regular-season passes and is working his way back from a serious ankle injury he suffered last September that ultimately required him to have multiple surgeries. Meanwhile, 2022 rookie sensation Brock Purdy is recovering from elbow surgery he underwent on March 10. 

For a piece published Tuesday morning, ESPN's Nick Wagoner and Stephania Bell explained that Purdy hopefully will begin throwing a half-weighted football 10 to 12 weeks from March 10. Wagoner and Bell added that "the Niners and Purdy believe they'll have a much better idea" about when Purdy could potentially return to practice once he reaches the 12-week recovery mark in early June. 

Assuming Purdy won't be good to go in Pittsburgh on Sept. 10, it sounds like the temporary QB1 job is Darnold's and not Lance's to lose.