Brock Purdy remains on track to start for the San Francisco 49ers once Week 1 of the 2023 NFL regular season rolls around. Purdy is still working his way back to top form after an offseason surgery, but it will take something too drastic for him to lose his QB1 role, according to Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan.

“He would have to melt in practice to lose it, Shanahan said (h/t Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated).  “And Brock’s too good of a player to melt in practice—and so are the other guys.”

Shanahan has complete trust in Purdy. He saw Purdy prove that over and over again in the 2022 NFL season when the quarterback was asked to step in and take charge of the starting duties following the injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. With Purdy running the show in the field, the 49ers went all the way to the playoffs and even reached the NFC Championship Game. It was in that contest against the Philadelphia Eagles that Purdy suffered an ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that led to his surgery.

There is perhaps a chance that Purdy will get some reps on the field before the end of the 2023 NFL preseason, but the main QB duties in the next two games should still be handled by the trio of Lance, Sam Darnold, and Brandon Allen. Lance and Darnold are battling for the chief backup role behind Purdy.

If all goes according to plan, Purdy will be there on the field in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sep. 10.