The San Francisco 49ers have a couple of things to deal with in their quarterback room this offseason. One of them is getting QB Brock Purdy’s contract extension done. The other is finding a backup for him.
One of the potential backup options for Purdy is off the board. ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday reported QB Andy Dalton inked a two-year, $8 million contract with the Carolina Panthers after spending the last two seasons there behind young signal caller Bryce Young.
San Francisco carried quarterbacks Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs behind Purdy last season. Both are set to hit free agency which opened the door for the 49ers to bring in a different QB2 option behind their franchise signal caller.
Dalton is a quality veteran with a ton of games under his belt and experience working as a backup QB. One of the keys for San Francisco in finding a backup is that they’d be comfortable handing the keys to that player if they’re pushed into a starting role. Dalton’s 168 career starts certainly qualify him to grab a spot start.
The 49ers will need to find a different direction now though. There are still a handful of interesting veteran options due to hit the free agent market. They could also use a relatively early draft pick in hopes of developing a young player behind Purdy who can take on the QB2 job at an affordable rate for the next few seasons.