Source - 49ers mull options after Trey Lance loses QB2 battle - ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The competition to be the San Francisco 49ers' backup quarterback is over.

The 49ers are rolling with Sam Darnold as the No. 2 behind Brock Purdy and are exploring all options with Trey Lance, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, a source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

Lance was not in attendance at the start of Wednesday's practice.

With Purdy handling most of the starting duties since his return from a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, Darnold and Lance have been locked in a battle for the backup role throughout training camp.

On Tuesday, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan indicated he wasn't ready to announce his No. 2 quarterback until closer to the start of the regular season, even going as far as to say he could alternate between backups depending on the week.

«I would think we'd probably announce it before we play Pittsburgh, but not this game,» Shanahan said.

Now, it appears the quarterback depth chart has taken shape with Purdy at the top, Darnold in the backup spot and a bit of uncertainty after that with Lance and veteran Brandon Allen still on the roster.

The Niners don't plan to keep more than three quarterbacks on the active roster, which means one of them will have to go at some point. That player could be Lance, who a year ago at this time was heading into the season as San Francisco's starter.

He suffered a broken right ankle in Week 2 and missed the rest of the season, allowing for Purdy's ascent after leading the team to a 7-1 record as a starter and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game.

NFL Network first reported the news of the Niners exploring options with Lance.

Niners general manager John Lynch said before the NFL draft in April that he'd received interest