The 49ers are still digging for gold.
San Francisco has one of the NFL's more intriguing quarterback situations. With Brock Purdy recovering from elbow surgery, Trey Lance still an unknown and Sam Darnold … well, and Sam Darnold, the room may have more question marks than GM John Lynch likes.
That has led to searching the trade market for another passer, and a high-caliber one at that. According to Dan Patrick, the 49ers "explored" a trade for Lamar Jackson, adding that they "kicked the tires" on a deal.
"The Niners have monitored everything, including Lamar Jackson," Patrick said Thursday. "They've explored that, or at least, looked at it. They've kicked the tires on that."
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On its surface, the 49ers and Ravens seem to be an incongruent fit. San Francisco is without a first- or second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Baltimore would surely want that draft capital in the immediate to plug roster holes.
But, Jackson has yet to sign the non-exclusive franchise tag, so the Ravens wouldn't need the requisite first-rounders if a deal is done before the tender is signed.
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Jackson sent out a cryptic tweet on Tuesday night featuring a "SpongeBob SquarePants" lip-biting gif and a smiley face emoji. That might be likely unrelated to anything going on, but it's coincidental, if nothing else.
Earlier in the week, Lynch didn't quite shut down trade rumors surrounding quarterback Lance, who sat out almost the entirety of the 2022 season after suffering an ankle injury in Week 1. Lynch said he "expects" Lance to be a 49er for 2023.
Expectations have a tendency of changing, though — especially when a former MVP talent is on the trade block.