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.
Colin Kaepernick
Just because Colin Kaepernick is expected to opt out in the next few days doesn’t mean a Kap-to-SF reunion is out of the question.
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On the surface, it seems a little weird Kaepernick would walk away from $14.5 million guaranteed money in 2017. He won’t get that kind of money elsewhere, and his national anthem protests have surely turned off more than a few NFL executives around the league.
Yet Kaepernick also had to know the 49ers weren’t going to pay him that kind of money this season. He knows his leverage with the team is minimal, especially considering the whole “clean slate” approach both Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have.
So why not hit the free-agent market early before QB-needy teams have already found their options?
It’s still hard to rule out the 49ers trying to lure Kaepernick back in, but we can’t rule it out altogether.
If it does happen, a deal would be much lower than what he would have earned. Heck, San Francisco might be the only place to welcome him in. And even that’s a stretch.
NFL Draft Prospects
Armed with 10 picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, one should expect the 49ers to bring in a quarterback or two from what’s considered a relatively weak QB class of prospects.
San Francisco won’t avoid the position, even if it’s weak. The only question is whether or not the Niners will use the No. 2 overall pick on their future signal-caller.
Probably not — at least we shouldn’t hope so — but if they did, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky likely winds up being the guy. Per the linked CBS Sports quarterback rankings above, Trubisky is atop the entire quarterback-prospect depth chart.
Other first- or even early second-round considerations include Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes.
The thing to consider here is none warrant instant-starter consideration. Sure, surprises like Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott can happen. But they’re rare — the exception, not the rule.
So don’t expect the 49ers to throw a rookie quarterback into the fire, especially amid a complete rebuilding project.
Jay Cutler
Let’s get one goofy notion out of the way.
According to a report from Sean Wagner-McGough from CBS Sports, the Chicago Bears are actively looking to trade controversial quarterback Jay Cutler this offseason. If they can’t, he’ll be cut.
I can’t think of any 49ers fans who would realistically want Cutler anywhere close to Santa Clara this offseason. But the only reason he’s on this list is because of a Mike Florio, from Pro Football Talk, report suggesting the Niners could make a run at the veteran QB.
Florio wrote:
"With Kyle Shanahan destined to become the next coach of the 49ers, Kirk Cousins may not be destined to become the next quarterback. That honor could go to Jay Cutler. Apart from the fact that Shanahan’s father, Mike, drafted Cutler to Denver, 49ers G.M. John Lynch played with Cutler in Denver and regards Cutler as a friend."
This could be little more than Florio throwing something against the wall and hoping it sticks.
Even if the Niners were interested, remotely at best, they wouldn’t engineer any sort of trade. San Francisco would wait until he was cut.
Regardless, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (h/t Bleacher Report) is reporting Cutler is considering retirement anyway.
Kirk Cousins
The Washington Redskins applied the exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins, meaning 2017 marks the second year in a row Washington has hit him with the tag.
Tag! I'm it!
— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) February 28, 2017
The exclusive variety means Cousins cannot negotiate with any other team. Had the non-exclusive version been applied, Cousins’ camp could have engaged in some negotiations with a team like the 49ers.
If a deal was reached, and Washington didn’t want to match it, San Francisco would owe the Redskins two first-round picks.
A trade is still possible though. Only in this case, it would have to be between the Redskins and 49ers’ front offices. Compensation wouldn’t have to be set at two first rounders. But, as PFT’s Mike Florio noted earlier, Washington would have to be “blown away” by a deal.
This means the 49ers would, essentially, have to sell the farm to bring Cousins in.
Considering how many needs general manager John Lynch has this offseason, making such a bold move is remote at best.
Jimmy Garoppolo
Another quarterbacking commodity presumably on the trade market is New England Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo.
Like Cousins, it might be best for the 49ers to wait at least a year to see if/how Garoppolo hits the open market. Backing up the most famous QB in the game right now, Tom Brady, doesn’t allow for a lot of limelight. But Brady isn’t getting any younger.
Strangely enough, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick knows this, which is why any possible attempt to move Garoppolo could be seen as suspect. Perhaps this is why the Pats, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, are holding off on such a move:
In a move that will have a ripple effect on all QB-needy teams, Patriots are not expected to trade QB Jimmy Garoppolo, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2017
Still, everyone in the NFL has a price tag. The question is if anyone is willing to pay the one on Garoppolo.
Probably not San Francisco. At least not now.
Brian Hoyer
Running out of options? Kind of. At least for anyone desired under a long-term deal.
A key to remember here is both Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch are entering the first of six-year deals. They won’t be rushed into finding the next franchise quarterback right away. And that opens up the door for stopgap options.
Guys like Brian Hoyer.
The 31-year-old Hoyer has only been a regular starter just once, 2014, in his eight-year NFL career. But that lone season of regular starts came with the Cleveland Browns under then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
Hoyer’s numbers that year weren’t particularly great, but neither was the Browns offense.
And Hoyer does have that moderate familiarity with Shanahan’s offensive scheme. So that helps.
As an additional note, Hoyer has Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus‘ vote, if the Niners want a bridge QB this year:
If #49ers are looking for a veteran bridge/backup QB with Shanahan ties I would much prefer Hoyer over Schaub.
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) February 5, 2017
Matt Schaub
If not Brian Hoyer, Matt Schaub is the bridge option at quarterback, right?
After all, Schaub earned the first of two Pro Bowl nods under Kyle Shanahan’s offensive tutelage with the Houston Texans back in 2009 when the former led the league in completions (396), passing yards (4,770) and average yards per game (298.1).
And Schaub was Matt Ryan’s backup with the Atlanta Falcons last year, so Schaub has certainly remained abreast of Shanahan’s offense.
To make things even more interesting, a good chunk of former Texans assistants have found their way to Shanahan’s staff, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Read into this what you may, but it’s easy to see there are plenty of connections.
Schaub, at 35 years old, isn’t a long-term option. Just like Hoyer, Schaub would be a bridge QB to hold the line until San Francisco finds its next franchise piece.
And, hopefully, a quarterback like Schaub would help mentor an up-and-coming prospect.
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It’s possible the Niners bring in two veteran QBs — like Hoyer and Schaub — to compete for a starting job, while a young passer is drafted and developed.
This is the most likely route for the 49ers right now.
If we know anything, neither Shanahan nor John Lynch will scramble to find the next great quarterback for 2017. They’re not in a hurry to do so, and they know this rebuild is going to take time.
Next: 49ers 2017 Offseason Big Board
In construction terms, the Niners are measuring twice before cutting just once.