Broncos vs 49ers: Previewing preseason Week 2 for San Francisco

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KANSAS CITY, MO – AUGUST 11: Quarterback Brian Hoyer #2 of the San Francisco 49ers rolls out during the preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on August 11, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Quarterback comparison

San Francisco

Brian Hoyer’s the definitive starter. The back-up position? Not so definitive.

From the get-go, quarterback Brian Hoyer has been the undisputed starter for the 49ers. His contract reflected that, comments by general manager John Lynch in the spring reflected that, and now his play is reflecting that. Training camp showed Hoyer is the best option the team currently has at quarterback. There’s no debate about who is the No. 1 guy in San Francisco.

Behind Hoyer on the depth is where the intrigue is starting to form. Initially, quarterback Matt Barkley was presumed to be the back-up to Hoyer. Then the team drafted C.J. Beathard from the University of Iowa, and slowly the rookie has been carving out a spot for himself on the roster.

Now, there has been a formal change with Shanahan naming Beathard the No. 2 quarterback for the game against Denver. The rookie signal-caller will be one of the top things to look for when he takes the field.

Denver

Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch are battling it out for the starting position.

It’s still up in the air as for who will be the starter for the Denver Broncos when the 2017 season kicks off — the team has yet to make a decision on either Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch. And that’s a decision that could come very soon, highlighting the importance of this particular game for Denver (via ESPN’S Jeff Legwold):

"We’d like the decision made by itself, Elway said. We’ve talked about that decision being made by itself. We want one of them to take the reins and take over; it would be the ideal situation. We’re getting through this game and we’ll go from there, see what happens."

That was Broncos general manager John Elway speaking about the quarterback competition, revealing the team is hoping to make a decision soon. The game today could play a pivotal factor in determining who gets the nod as starter.