San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch continues to stand by his 23-year-old quarterback amid the hype of an incoming veteran signal-caller.

With Brock Purdy’s official return from elbow surgery still up in the air, there has been plenty of buzz around former Jets and Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold since he signed with the 49ers.

But speaking Wednesday, Lynch remained steadfast in his belief in Purdy.

“Brock is the leader in the clubhouse, as we said, but it’s open for competition,” Lynch said on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

Purdy, 2022’s “Mr. Irrelevant,” has started throwing again, and the 49ers hope he is ready for the season opener against the Steelers on Sept. 10.

Purdy had a successful rookie campaign when he stepped up late last season after quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance were injured.

In five regular-season games down the stretch, he totaled 1,374 yards for 13 touchdowns while completing 67.1% of his passes.

In the playoffs, he led the 49ers all the way to the NFC title game, where he suffered a complete tear of his ulnar collateral ligament.

Lynch said he saw plenty of promise before the injury in the final game.

“Is it a flash in the pan or is it the real deal?” Lynch said. “As we’ve gone back and studied it, he played at a high, high level. Not only played within the system, he made a lot of plays outside the system by extending plays.

“He showed tremendous playmaking ability. He showed tremendous ability to run the system efficiently, effectively, push the ball downfield. He just had an incredible first year.”

However, Darnold has stirred up a ton of hype after joining the 49ers in March, despite lackluster seasons in New York and Carolina.

The No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has a career 59.7% completion percentage with 61 touchdowns and 55 interceptions.

But even with middling numbers, one of Darnold’s current teammates had a ton of praise for the quarterback.

Running back Christian McCaffrey played together with Darnold in Carolina and liked what he saw under center.

“He can do everything,” McCaffrey told The Athletic last month. “He can make every throw. He’s smart. He’s able to pick up things quickly and do his job. Doesn’t play beyond anything, does exactly what he’s told all the time, and adds a lot of flare to it, too.

“I got the privilege to play with Sam. Not enough, unfortunately. I had some injuries, but he’s another guy who’s just a gamer. And he’s tough as hell. He’s played through a lot and never made excuses.”

And earlier in May, NBC Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco said Darnold “might be … the most talented thrower of the football that the 49ers have ever had.”

“When I look at Darnold, it’s the ability to throw a football that is why he made it into the NFL as the No. 3 overall pick and could have easily been the No. 1 pick,” he said.

He later added that Darnold likely hasn’t succeeded because he’s dealt with a carousel of coaches and little stability since entering the NFL.

While much of the talk has centered around Purdy and Darnold, Lance has had a “substantial” throwing-motion breakthrough thanks to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

That leaves the 49ers with plenty of decisions to make before Week 1.