Everything’s peachy for the San Francisco 49ers with their starting players. Thanks to Brock Purdy’s incredible play, the Niners made it to Super Bowl LVIII where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in dramatic fashion.
Purdy’s level of play over the past two years has been so phenomenal that the young QB from Iowa State made it to the Niners’ all-time QB list. The achievement only highlights how great of a steal Purdy has been as the final pick of the 2022 Draft.
While the starting QB situation is sorted, the problem now lies in providing quality depth for their young star. Sam Darnold was a solid backup in 2023, allowing him to get a preliminary starting gig with the Minnesota Vikings.
Shanahan is now testing two great QBs to take over Darnold’s spot for the 2024 campaign, and it seems like he’s getting closer to choosing the one who’ll be on standby behind Purdy.
Report: Josh Dobbs is the likely QB to take Sam Darnold’s place in the San Francisco 49ers roster
According to Adam La Rose of Pro Football Rumors, the QB2 role has wound down between Brandon Allen and Josh Dobbs.
While Allen has more familiarity with Shanahan’s playbook, Dobbs’ solid performance with the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings is the likeliest reason behind him being the rumored favorite to become the backup QB:
The 29-year-old found himself on the Browns last summer before he was dealt to the Cardinals. An eight-game run filling in for Kyler Murray as a starter was followed by a trade to the Vikings, a team which used him for four starts after Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear. Dobbs has 14 starts and 21 appearances to his name in the NFL.
Everyone knows that it will be tough to replace Purdy if he ever gets injured. The 24-year-old completed an incredible 4280 passing yards and 31 touchdowns while only throwing 11 picks. If push comes to shove, the San Francisco 49ers want a reliable QB to be there to cover for Purdy’s injury.
Hopefully, Dobbs and Allen will be able to step up to the plate regardless of who becomes QB2.
