Will the quarterback room look any different this offseason?
On Monday, we went over the San Francisco 49ers safety group as we head into the offseason. We’ll flip back and forth between the sides of the ball. Today, we’ll go over the most important position in the sport.
The Niners have set a precedent. When the quarterback is healthy, they’re on the doorstep of making — you could argue winning — the Super Bowl. Heading into training camp, those of us on the outside were unaware of Brock Purdy’s health. But he showed little effects from his torn UCL injury and took every meaningful snap from August through February.
In his first full season as a starter, the former last pick in the draft, a 24-year-old, helped lead one of the greatest offenses the NFL has seen in years. There will always be criticism, as that comes with the territory of his position. “Anybody can lead that offense” is at the top of the list.
Purdy is a quality player who has the traits needed to win games. That doesn’t make him Patrick Mahomes, but he’s closer to being in the upper echelon of NFL starters than being a one-hit wonder who is out of the league after one contract.
An extension is on the horizon if Purdy puts up another successful season. But quarterback is a need, as Purdy is the only player at the position under contract for 2024.
Quarterbacks under contract in 2024:
Brock Purdy – $889,253
We can talk about the 49ers signing player A or player Z because their starting quarterback doesn’t have a cap number over a million dollars. It’s unprecedented when you think about it. But it’s also wise to load up on talent when you have a rookie quarterback. That was the plan since 2021, with a different player under center in mind.
Would Kyle Shanahan have a rookie backing up Purdy? Last year, it was 27-year-old Sam Darnold, whose contract was four times Purdy’s. Then, 32-year-old Brandon Allen was the emergency quarterback. Both of those players are unrestricted free agents.
The team could re-sign both players and have the same set of eyes and ears helping Purdy for the second year in a row. But Darnold may want to compete for a starting job elsewhere or have an opportunity to play.
The quarterbacks who made around as much as Darnold did last season who are unrestricted free agents include Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Drew Lock, Gardner Minshew, Tyler Huntley, Josh Dobbs, and Easton Stick. You can throw Mitchell Trubisky and Jacoby Brissett in that same group, but they may not be satisfied with being a backup.
Some players in the NFL Draft could fit the profile for what Shanahan wants in a quarterback—experience matters. Sam Hartman as a middle-round pick may be intriguing. Later on Day 3, Devin Leary or Austin Reed are also potential options.
How do you think the 49ers quarterback room ends up looking a couple of months from now? Will we see a different backup quarterback once again?
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