Even a stink of Brock Purdy in Sunday’s NFC Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles won’t be enough to cost him the starting quarterback job next year, says the former NFL player and current ESPN pundit Ryan Clark.
On Friday’s episode of “First Take,” Clark was unequivocal on two points. First, Purdy earned the go-ahead to go after going undefeated for at least the NFL title game (and maybe beyond!). “There’s no question,” Clark said. “…No matter what happens on Sunday, heading into next year, Brock Purdy is the quarterback, no competition.”
Clark noted that Purdy clearly outperformed Jimmy Garoppolo; he was more consistent and he showed more ability out of the pocket. And then Clark made his second bold statement: Trey Lance’s time has already come and gone in the Bay Area.
“They have to finally say, whether it’s Kyle Shanahan’s decision or John Lynch’s decision, ‘We made a mistake with Trey Lance. If we were to go for talent, if we were to go for the guy with the greatest potential athletically , we should have chosen Justin Fields. We were wrong,” Clark said. “But, as life would have it, as fate and fate would determine, in Mr. Irrelevant, [they] chose Brock Purdy. Right now, he doesn’t even know how to lose in the NFL.”
Even just a few weeks ago, such a statement would still have been considered outlandish. This is no longer the case. Lance, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, who is still just 22, is going to have a hell of a time usurping Purdy, the No. 262 pick in 2022, next season. That means Clark is right, strange as it sounds: Lance’s future in San Francisco is certainly uncertain.
Sunday’s NFC title fight kicks off at noon on Fox.
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