5 dark-horse candidates to make 49ers 53-man roster in 2022

49ers dark-horse roster candidate No. 1: QB Brock Purdy

Kyle Shanahan has kept three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster before, and he might be inclined to do so again.

First thing, however, backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld is in zero danger of being released, and he has $2 million fully guaranteed reasons why he’ll be on the team come Week 1, barring injury, as a backup to the starter, Trey Lance.

The only question mark under center is whether or not rookie seventh-round pick Brock Purdy has done enough to warrant placement.

Purdy’s numbers from both preseason games thus far — 17-of-29 for 164 yards and a touchdown — don’t necessarily do him a lot of justice. For starters, Purdy was dogged by a number of bad drops against Minnesota, and him being credited for a fumble in that same game despite the officials missing a blatant neutral-zone infraction isn’t exactly fair either.

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Instead, one can look at the poise and decision-making Purdy has shown over those two games and conclude he’s at least put himself into the discussion of surviving the cut.

Related Story: Brock Purdy has compelling case to make 49ers’ 53-man roster

Granted, it’s not hard to do the math. Shanahan might want to keep an extra linebacker, an extra wide receiver and an extra tight end. Using a roster spot on a third-string quarterback simply might not be in the equation with those additions.

So, even if Purdy does everything right, he still might not be safe.

It doesn’t mean he’s out of the conversation, though.