As Brock Purdy deals with a shoulder injury, the 49ers could be on the lookout for another quarterback.
Coincidentally, a notable name should be on the market next week that – depending on Purdy’s timeline – could intrigue San Francisco.
The New York Giants officially waived Daniel Jones on Saturday, and the former No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft is expected to become a free agent on Monday – assuming he clears waivers.
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The 49ers could be a team interested in acquiring Jones, as suggested by ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler.
Alongside a handful of non-contenders, Fowler mentioned San Francisco as “a situation to watch” for Jones due to Purdy’s injury.
Furthermore, the dual-threat Jones – who has over 2,000 career rushing yards across 70 career games – fits 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s typical preference for mobile quarterbacks (see Lance, Trey).
"There will be 6-8 teams that will need a bridge QB and be willing to give him a shot," an anonymous AFC executive told Fowler. "Or a high-end backup if you are a Super Bowl team. The timing will be interesting. It's late in the year, so he will need to be familiar with the offense."
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The 49ers, of course, would fit the second mold, hoping to stay afloat in case of disaster.
Most fans probably will be turned off by Jones’ measly 70-to-47 career touchdown-to-interception ratio, but Jones ideally wouldn’t be more than a cheap, short-term fill-in option until Purdy returns to 100 percent.
On the other hand, if Purdy won’t miss more than one game and Shanahan is confident enough in the 49ers’ current quarterback room, then making a move for Danny Dimes wouldn’t be too likely.