San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan Will Get the Most out of His Quarterback in 2017
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers don’t know just yet who their quarterback will be in 2017. But head coach Kyle Shanahan has done more than enough to prove nearly any signal-caller will experience a boost in production.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is a quarterback whisperer.
And the Niners have plenty of QB questions facing them this offseason.
It’s a good thing Shanahan has an excellent track record with getting the most out of his quarterbacks. All one has to do is go back through the new-head coach’s days as an offensive coordinator to see the results.
San Francisco 49ers
Hint: They’re pretty good.
Amid a complete rebuild, the 49ers aren’t quite sure how they’ll address this all-too-important position this offseason. Incumbent starter Colin Kaepernick could opt out early next month and become a free agent.
Even if he stays, San Francisco might elect to part ways with him and save the cap space.
NFL quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo and even Jay Cutler have been thrown around as potential Niners offseason targets. Lesser-known candidates could include backups like Matt Schaub or Brian Hoyer — both of whom have worked with Shanahan before.
Or, possibly, the 49ers could use one of their selections in the 2017 NFL Draft to bring in a prospect.
Whatever the case, San Francisco’s next signal-caller is in good hands.
Looking at Some Previous QB Numbers
Shanahan had the luxury of working with Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan over the last two years.
Ryan remains one of the best in the game, and it’s no surprise he went on to earn MVP honors for his efforts in 2016.
The Niners aren’t going to get anyone close to Ryan’s abilities, so we shouldn’t have to look too much into his numbers.
But what of a “bridge” quarterback of sorts?
Either Schaub and/or Hoyer could be among San Francisco’s short list of targets, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
Let’s look at Schaub first.
Schaub played under Shanahan’s tutelage for two years — 2008 and 2009 — with the Houston Texans. Check out the numbers:
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/23/2017.
All one needs to do is look at Schaub’s 2009 numbers. His 396 completions, 4,770 passing yards and 298.1 yards-per-game average led the NFL, en route to the first of two Pro Bowl nods for the now-35 year old.
Sure, Schaub can’t be considered anywhere close to replicating those efforts. But having worked with Shanahan previously, such a bridge might not be a bad thing at all.
Meanwhile, Hoyer’s numbers — in one year (2014) under Shanahan with the Cleveland Browns — stand out in an otherwise so-so career:
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/23/2017.
Hoyer had been nothing more than a backup prior to 2014. And those 3,326 passing yards still mark the most he’s thrown over his eight-year career.
Like Schaub, Hoyer would be nothing more than a stopgap option. But not a bad one, especially considering the lack of talent surrounding him on a bad Cleveland offense that year.
But What About Colin Kaepernick?
Don’t rule out Kap finding another home in 2017. Not yet, at least.
Both Shanahan and general manager John Lynch met with the embattled quarterback at 49ers headquarters and, according to reports, it was a very pleasant meeting.
This doesn’t mean San Francisco is locked in on keeping Kaepernick around this upcoming season. Rather, it’s more an indication Shanahan and Lynch are merely keeping their options open.
In this Richard Madrid article, we can get an idea what Shanahan’s passing offense looks like.
Related Story: 49ers Film Room: Evaluating Kyle Shanahan's Passing Offense
One of the things Shanahan does well is scheming guys to get open. The key note is having a quarterback capable of hitting open receivers, which isn’t exactly one of Kaepernick’s biggest strengths.
Then again, it wasn’t one of former Washington Redskins QB Robert Griffin III’s either. And Shanahan helped propel him to a Rookie of the Year accolade in 2012.
While the Niners’ top brass may still want to go another direction, it isn’t as if fans could look at Kaepernick under center in 2017 as the worst of options.
So What Do the 49ers Do?
Almost all of this will be predicated on San Francisco’s actions in free agency and the NFL Draft. The Niners could get aggressive and target Cousins or Garoppolo in an offseason trade, but that’s awfully lucrative.
Especially considering the Redskins may apply a non-exclusive franchise tag on Cousins, which would cost the 49ers two first-round draft picks.
Not worth it.
The next option tier would be to hope Kaepernick sticks around and to work with him through at least 2017. If that falls through, or the Niners do see fit to move on, a bridge QB like Schaub or Hoyer becomes the next likely choice.
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Lastly, there’s the NFL Draft.
Expect San Francisco to grab a quarterback, or two, this April. Armed with the No. 2 overall pick, Lynch could go for a guy right away. Yet with a relatively weak draft class at the position, waiting until Rounds 2 or 3 might be more in play.
Whatever the draft case may be, the Niners will bring aboard a rookie quarterback this offseason. Even if he’s just a developmental piece.
He, and whoever else is slated under center, will be in good hands.
Next: Post-Super Bowl Mock for All 32 Teams in the NFL Draft
Just look at the numbers.