4 former 49ers QB's who are free agents (and one who will be soon)

Former 49ers available in free agency: Nate Sudfeld

The man whom Brock Purdy beat out for a job, Nate Sudfeld, is back on the market. Originally drafted by Washington, Sudfeld spent several years with them and in Philadelphia before being signed by the 49ers in 2021.

He bounced between being a member of the practice squad and being the backup quarterback, but never saw any playing time in a regular season game.

The 49ers brought him back in 2022 to compete for a job when the team already had Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Brock Purdy. Lance was set to be the starter with Garoppolo as the backup, so it was really a competition between Purdy and Sudfeld for the third string.

Purdy played well in the preseason and beat out Sudfeld, and of course the rest is history. How fitting would it be for the 49ers to bring Sudfeld back to be Purdy's back up.

Sudfeld spent two years in Shanahan's system, so he has the familiarity with the playbook. And while he has only attempted 37 passes in regular season NFL games, he could make sense as a cheaper option for the 49ers if they feel retaining Darnold would be too expensive.

The next quarterback surveyed did not play for the 49ers under Shanahan, but he just won a Super Bowl ring for sitting on the bench against the 49ers.