When it comes to the San Francisco 49ers quarterback situation, it’s been crazy this offseason.

• Brock Purdy was coming off elbow surgery, with his availability unknown for the season.
• Sam Darnold was signed to add proven depth at the position.
• Trey Lance, coming off an injury-riddled season, was hoping to just have a shot to be the back-up if Purdy fully recovers.

Fast forward to present day, and Purdy’s recovery has him entrenched as the starting quarterback in San Francisco. As for who backs up Purdy, that took a dramatic turn Wednesday.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the 49ers are naming Darnold, not Lance, as the team’s primary back-up quarterback heading into the regular season. But that’s not all. The 49ers are reportedly “exploring options” with Lance and his future with the team.

The #49ers are naming Sam Darnold their No. 2 quarterback and the team is exploring options with Trey Lance, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

Darnold will back up Brock Purdy, while the future of Lance — the No. 3 overall pick in 2021 — is unclear. pic.twitter.com/HxXQkfM6nq

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 23, 2023

Keep in mind, Trey Lance was the 3rd overall draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and could already be on his way out of San Francisco before ever really getting a shot to prove himself, mainly due to injury.

For 49ers fans, the hope is Purdy remains healthy and the back-up quarterback situation is a non-story throughout the 2023 regular season. However, if things go south with Purdy, or an injury occurs, turning to Darnold, who hasn’t proven to be a capable starting quarterback since he came into the league, might be the worst-case scenario.

Keep your eyes on San Francisco as they prepare for the rest of the preseason and also get ready for the Steelers in Pittsburgh in Week 1 of the regular season.