San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart
- NFC West
- Stadium
- Levi's Stadium
- Head Coach
- Kyle Shanahan
- Offensive Coordinator
- Defensive Coordinator
- Steve Wilks
- Special Teams Coach
- Brian Schneider
- Defensive Scheme
- 4-3
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday that quarterback Trey Lance has a shot to regain the starting job under center in 2023. "With Brock being hurt, (Trey Lance) has a chance to regain that," Shanahan said. On Monday, general manager John Lynch said that Purdy "has earned the right" to be the team's starter after impressing as a rookie in 2022. But with Purdy's availability for the start of the season in question after having right elbow surgery, Lance will have an opportunity to start in Week 1 if the team doesn't trade him during next month's draft. The 22-year-old former first-round pick hasn't had a real shot to prove himself as the team's starter yet, and it remains to be seen if he'll actually get that chance. We should know more this summer if Lance is still with the team. Shanahan said he expects Lance and Sam Darnold to both take first-team repetitions this offseason with Purdy hurt.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is expected to remain with the team for at least one more season. The team is reportedly going to exercise Aiyuk's fifth-year option. Although, it's also worth noting that the 49ers have received trade interest in regards to Aiyuk. That doesn't come as a shock after Aiyuk posted a breakout campaign last season. He finished with 78 receptions, 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns with the 49ers. Aiyuk has certainly put himself in line for big payday, which is something the 49ers might not be able to afford. They already signed Samuel to a massive extension, so we'll see if they want to pay two wide receivers big time money. Regardless, it doesn't sound like the 49ers have any plans of moving on from Aiyuk at this moment.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) has earned the right to start, according to general manager John Lynch. He continued by saying that Purdy is the leader in the clubhouse. The 23-year-old is currently recovering from a torn UCL that he suffered during the NFL Championship Game. That being said, Purdy is not expected to be cleared until the second week of September. While, former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance should get all the first-team reps and be the favorite to start Week 1. It'll be interesting to see what the 49ers decide to do once both players are healthy. Purdy went 5-0 in the regular season and had his team one win away from a Super Bowl. Although, Lance is viewed as their future and the team gave up quite a lot in order to draft him.
The Panthers traded kicker Zane Gonzalez to the 49ers on Friday. Carolina had initially announced it would be releasing the veteran. Instead, he'll now be heading west, with San Francisco filling a void on offense. Gonzalez has made just 80.5% of his field goal tries during his career, so he hasn't been the most efficient kicker. The 27-year-old also missed the entire 2022 campaign because of a groin injury suffered in the preseason. That said, it's unlikely Gonzalez will draw much interest from fantasy managers this season, although that could change if he turns things around and stays healthy.
The San Francisco 49ers signed former Detroit Lions defensive end/linebacker Austin Bryant to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, according to a source. The former fourth-round pick out of Clemson in 2019 has played in 33 career NFL games (six starts) in his four seasons with the Lions. He played in only nine games (zero starts) in 2022 and finished with nine tackles (seven solo). In Bryant's four seasons, he's racked up 65 tackles (42 solo), 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 11 QB hits for the Lions. The 26-year-old can be ignored by fantasy managers in IDP leagues, as Bryant will play a depth role for the 49ers in 2023.
