Some people, though not many, have speculated whether or not the San Francisco 49ers will use two quarterbacks in 2023. In the 2021 season, the 49ers used Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance in the same games for some of the season. Even back in the 80s, Joe Montana and Steve Young rotated for a portion of the season. While most have argued who will start, some wondered if there was a chance that both would play. Here is why the 49ers will not use the two-quarterback system in 2023.
No Room for the 49ers’ Distractions
When a team has two quarterbacks that they debate starting, some see it as, “Why not just use both?” In sports, you always have to play your hardest because you can lose your spot at any moment. This is something that brings out the best in every player. In practice, players should always compete to be the best of the others around them. The biggest issue with this is that it is almost always a distraction on game day.
49ers QB Brock Purdy (13) – Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports
If a team rotates between two quarterbacks in one game, whoever is on their field will most likely not be solely focused on the game. While, of course, what is happening on the field will be their main priority, they will always be looking back at the sideline to see if they are about to be pulled out of the game. The quarterback needs to be focused throughout the match and cannot be worried about when they will be pulled out throughout the entirety of the competition.
This season for San Francisco is too important. They have gone to the NFC Championship game three times since 2019, going to the Super Bowl once. They have come so close, yet still have not won a ring. The team is hungry for that Super Bowl with a team full of big contracts right now. There is no room to play around with the two-quarterback system. There needs to be a single focus.
The Risk of Injuries for the 49ers
While maybe the conversation of the San Francisco 49ers and their injuries may be getting old, it is relevant here. Why would the team want to rotate between two quarterbacks and risk both getting hurt in the rotation rather than keep one healthy and ready? Of course, it is possible to have one get hurt and then have the second-string player go in and also get hurt, but why increase that chance? It would be smarter to have one quarterback focus on just the game and have the other on the sideline ready to go in if needed.
49ers QB Trey Lance – Daniel Bartel/USA TODAY Sports
Last Time the 49ers Used Two Quarterbacks in Rotation
Yes, the franchise did play around with using both Steve Young and Joe Montana back in the day, but that was also a different time and hard to compare. In 2021, the team played around using both Jimmy Garopolo and Trey Lance. The reason it is better to compare now to the 2021 season is that it was just two years ago. It was a similar offense, the biggest difference being the addition of Christian McCaffrey and of course, the same head coach. Yes, the 49ers went to the NFC Championship in the 2021 season, but it did not start great.
In the 2021 season, the 49ers’ first five games gave them a record of 2-3. Even with an early bye-week, By week seven, they were 2-4. In week one, the team faced the Detroit Lions and won the game. The team primarily used Garoppolo, but Lance did go in to rush the ball three times and pass the ball once. It did look fine, then. By week two, the 49ers faced the Philadelphia Eagles. The team won and only played Jimmy Garopolo. Is the rotation between two quarterbacks the reason the 49ers lost the next two games? That really cannot be the main blame. There were other issues that season as well.
49ers QB Brock Purdy (13) – Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
When Lance would come in, he did score. The game that had the most rotation was in week four when San Francisco faced the Seattle Seahawks. Lance passed the most in that game at that point in the season. The 49ers still made it to the NFC Championship that season, but the conversation was about the quarterbacks more than the team itself. The rotation felt more like a distraction to some than it did feel like a great strategy. There were also issues with the play calling, as whenever Lance did rotate in, it was almost always for him to run. That is not the best idea, and easy for a defense to figure out.
Of course, this argument is not about not pulling whoever is starting if things are not going well for him. At the end of the day, San Francisco needs to do what is best for the team. Pulling out the quarterback between downs when there is no issue could cause more problems than it would solve. The team also has never hinted that they will do this. They more than likely won’t. There has just been some debate across social media if they will. It would be the smarter choice to pick one at a time than to rotate.
