The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the best teams in the NFL for the past few years now, but quarterback issues have halted them for multiple seasons. In 2022, they made it to the NFC Championship where they were led by Brock Purdy who was the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. After hurting his elbow, he was only able to hand the ball off making the game plan for the Philadelphia Eagles defense much easier. Heading into the season, the 49ers still have some questions at the quarterback position.
San Francisco 49ers training camp start date
Rookies reporting: July 18
Veterans reporting: July 25
First preseason game: August 13 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Key position battles to watch
Quarterback
This is the biggest battle of training camp for the 49ers with all the questions going on. Trey Lance was their top draft pick a few years back and they expect to be a franchise quarterback. He suffered a broken ankle at the beginning of last season causing him to miss the rest of the year. Behind him is Brock Purdy who played great after taking over. Purdy is still recovering from an elbow injury and theyāre unsure how long it will take him to recover. Even if both are healthy, the early lead goes to Lance for me who the 49ers want to be their starting quarterback for years to come. When they drafted Lance, they expected him to be a project with major upside. If he can stay healthy this season, we will be able to see if he will stay with them in the future.
Safety
The 49ers have Talanoa Hufanga and Tashaun Gipson Sr., but they also drafted JiāAyir Brown who could crack into the starting rotation. Hufanga will be a starter and thatās guaranteed, but Brown could push Gipson out of the spot at some point this season. I think he will give him a run for his money in training camp, but Gipson will be the starter in Week 1. But things could change as the season goes on. Brown will still get on the field and play in many different roles. We saw how Demo Ryans used many different players in different ways last season and I don’t expect things to change with Steve Wilks.
Defensive Line
The front for the 49ers is one of the best in the NFL and it got better. In free agency, they signed Javon Hargraves who will start for them at defensive tackle. They have Arik Armstead alongside him who has been solid in the eight years heās been in San Francisco. They also have Nick Bosa, Drake Jackson, Clean Ferrell, and Javon Kinlaw along the defensive line. Some are edge rushers, but the competition for a spot on that defensive line in training camp will be a real battle.
