SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers open the 2023 NFL regular season at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 10 at Acrisure Stadium.
Coming off a 13-4 season in which they fell one win short of a Super Bowl appearance, the 49ers find themselves once again smack in the middle of their window to win an elusive sixth Lombardi Trophy. The Niners lost a number of key starters and contributors in free agency but return their superstar nucleus with a significant addition in the form of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
Much of this training camp will center on what happens at quarterback, where Brock Purdy is returning from injury as Trey Lance and Sam Darnold compete for roles behind him. Could Lance become a trade target for a quarterback-needy team? It's possible, but the Niners don't intend to just give him away and recent history has repeatedly proven that San Francisco needs multiple capable quarterbacks to get through the season.
Here's a 53-man roster projection: