NFL free agency 2023: 49ers must go after these potential cap casualties
By Peter Panacy
49ers cap-casualty target No. 3: Quarterback Matt Ryan, Colts
Here this out for a second.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan already told reporters that he felt San Francisco’s quarterback room, which will consist of Trey Lance and Brock Purdy in 2023, was good enough not to add a big-name veteran to the mix.
That makes sense, and it also helps explain why the 49ers are willing to (finally) bid farewell to their own veteran, Jimmy Garoppolo.
Purdy and Lance are both awfully young, though, and the duo combined doesn’t even comprise a full regular season’s worth of starts under their belts.
As such, adding a veteran mentor to aid both Lance and Purdy wouldn’t necessarily be the worst idea.
The Indianapolis Colts, who tried to milk veteran quarterback Matt Ryan’s career just a wee bit longer, failed in doing so. And his hefty deal could generate $17 million in savings for Indy if he’s released outright. Combine that with him being benched late in the year, and the 37-year-old Ryan isn’t exactly going to be an expensive commodity for a team like the Niners to add.
Remember, Ryan’s best season as a pro came back under Shanahan when they were both with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, and the quarterback netted a league MVP award.