Why 49ers’ backup QB battle is underrated training camp storyline

Why 49ers’ backup QB battle is underrated training camp storyline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SANTA CLARA — As 49ers training camp begins, there’s no controversy surrounding San Francisco’s starting quarterback job in late July for the first time in years — but the backup spot is an entirely different story

After Sam Darnold’s free agency departure to the Minnesota Vikings, the undetermined quarterback heirarchy beyond Brock Purdy creates a critical storyline heading into the team’s first training camp practice on Wednesday.

Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen — two veteran signal-callers with considerable NFL experience, enter camp competing to be San Francisco’s most vital lifeline in the event Purdy is forced to miss any time during the 2024 season.

“They’ll keep splitting those reps to compete for the two spot,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday.

Given how Purdy has excelled since stepping on an NFL field, the remainder of San Francisco’s QB room is an afterthought on the surface. A side dish outshined by the main course that nearly took the 49ers to the promised land in his first full season under center.

However, due to recent history, San Francisco doesn’t have the luxury of ignoring the harsh reality that befalls NFL franchises when their starting quarterback is taken out of the picture mid-season.

The 49ers learned this lesson the hard way in 2020, with poor play from backup quarterbacks offsetting a heroic effort from San Francisco’s defense despite dealing with a catastrophic string of injuries on both sides of the ball.

Ever since that brutal 2020 season, the 49ers have gone above and beyond to insulate their quarterback room, which proved to be a franchise-altering decision when Purdy was rostered as the third-string quarterback during his rookie season in 2022.

That trend continued in 2023 with Darnold signing a one-year deal, and 2024 is shaping up to offer a similar level of insurance in the form of Dobbs and/or Allen.

Dobbs made waves…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-49ers-backup-qb-battle-024905135.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-07-24 02:49:05

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