:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72037832/1433702827.0.jpg "Baker Mayfield rumors: 49ers might have interest in free agent QB, per Albert Breer")
The San Francisco 49ers head into the offseason with unique issues at the quarterback position. Jimmy Garoppolo will likely depart in free agency, Trey Lance is coming off a season-ending broken ankle, and Brock Purdy still hasn't had surgery on his UCL injury. This is raising some red flags around the position five months ahead of training camp.
Purdy has not had surgery yet due to inflammation in the elbow, and that is pushing his six-month rehab timeline closer and closer to Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season. Albert Breer reported on Friday that the moving timeline could push them further into the veteran free agency market. Breer suggested Baker Mayfield as a potential inexpensive veteran option.
I don't, for what it's worth, think that San Francisco's going to break the bank. But I could absolutely see Lynch and Kyle Shanahan going in on someone like Baker Mayfield, who has experience in that type of offense and a boatload of starting experience. Keep an eye on that one.
It's possible this is just speculation since Breer does not mention sources. But it's also possible he's heard the name thrown around in some fashion and decided to put this out there.
Whatever the case, he would provide some veteran experience in case Purdy isn't ready for Week 1 and Lance struggles out of the gate. Mayfield has five years in the league, and split last year between the Panthers and Rams after the Browns dealt him away following the DeShaun Watson signing.