No team has suffered so many injuries at the quarterback position as the 49ers have in 2022. Even after having Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo ruled out for the remainder of the season, San Francisco had both Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson injured during the NFC Championship game.
There was no way they could overcome such an unlucky turn of events, but now it's time to turn the page. At least, the Niners know they have two promising quarterbacks to move forward with.
Lance is projected to be the starter, but a delay to Purdy's elbow surgery could force the team to look for a backup to start the year. Therefore, a veteran signal-caller could move to the Bay Area this offseason.
NFL Rumors: 49ers might see Andy Dalton as potential backup quarterback
According to Jake Hutchison of KNBR, the 49ers could revisit the idea of landing veteran quarterback Andy Dalton this offseason. The 35-year-old could bring veteran presence to a young QB room while Purdy continues with his rehab:
“Dalton is a guy the 49ers had rumored interest in going into this last offseason, and may have pulled the trigger on if they’d been able to deal Garoppolo early. He played extremely well last season for the New Orleans Saints and will assuredly make more than the one-year, $3 million, $5 million and $3 million deals he’s secured each of the last three years. But, he’s going to be a legitimate option in this scenario, and probably not prohibitively expensive. Without Purdy available, he’s maybe as capable as it gets here.”
The Niners, however, won't be lacking in options in the event they need a veteran backup to Lance. There will be other alternatives to Dalton in the free agency, though the Red Rifle would make sense after doing a decent job in New Orleans.
