The San Francisco 49ers are projected to have zero quarterbacks on their roster when NFL free agency begins on March 9. So what options do the Niners have this offseason? Let’s take a look.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is expected to opt out of his current contract and become a free agent.
With the Niners’ other quarterbacks from 2016 — Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder and Thad Lewis — also pending free agents, San Francisco will officially have zero QBs on the roster once NFL free agency starts on March 9.
Talk about a clean slate.
San Francisco 49ers
So how will general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan go about redressing this issue? Which quarterbacks — both NFL-ready ones and potential draftees — are in play for San Francisco?
Shanahan, via a recent press conference (h/t Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News) outlined what he’s looking for in a quarterback:
"There’s a lot of pressure in this business, especially on the quarterback position. How are they going to handle pressure? How are they going to handle adversity. No matter how good you are, everybody is going to tell you how bad you are sometime during the year. All that stuff goes into play when you talk about, to me, one of the most scrutinized positions in sports."
This is the backdrop for the Niners’ situation under center right now.
The team has a few options though. Cap space isn’t an issue, and the 49ers hold the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
But it’s also worth noting the six-year deals both Shanahan and Lynch have. Neither will be rushed into finding a quarterback right away. Yet they’ll have to land someone.
Let’s line up the target list.