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George Kittle: The 49ers QB job is Brock Purdy’s to lose

The 49ers tight end expects an interesting competition in training camp.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman William Gholston (92) deflects a pass from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13), intended for tight end George Kittle (85), in the first quarter of an NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 11, 2022, at Levis Stadium, in Santa Clara, CA. Photo by Tony Ding/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers have six months until training camp starts, but the quarterback chatter is not going to quiet down anytime soon. Brock Purdy emerged as a potential long-term starting option after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo got hurt, but he suffered a UCL tear and is not expected to be healthy until the start of training camp.

That injury creates some questions heading into the offseason, but for the time-being, Purdy has gotten plenty of support from his team. All Pro tight end George Kittle told Von Miller on Thursday that he thinks the 49ers starting QB job is Purdy’s to lose. Kittle acknowledged that Lance has not really gotten a fair shot to hold onto the job, but Purdy performed so well that it feels like it’s his job to lose.

This might be viewed as creating some discord in the locker room, but Lance himself acknowledged how well Purdy played. He stated that he didn’t deserve to just be handed the job and just wants a chance to compete.

There’s a long way to go until the start of training camp, let alone the start of the regular season. Lance will have the advantage of getting all the reps in the offseason workout program while Purdy continues his rehab. If Purdy has no setbacks and is back in time for the starting of training camp, then it’s game on in the competition for the starting job.