The San Francisco 49ers 53-man roster appears to be just about set, and while some positions could still see some veteran additions, the quarterback position is all but set. After signing Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley, and drafting C.J. Beathard, the team has seen enough from Beathard to cut Barkley. Nick Mullens will spend some portion of the season on the practice squad, but barring injury, the 49ers will be carrying two quarterbacks this season.
Of course, that’s kind of the rub. Brian Hoyer has dealt with an assortment of injuries when he has gotten a chance to start. He suffered a fractured forearm last season, a concussion the year before and a torn ACL prior to that. He very well could stay healthy all 16 games, but it seems unlikely given his history. If that’s the case, there is a very real chance C.J. Beathard starts at least one game this year, if not more.
Although the 49ers don’t have a clear answer at quarterback for the long-term, there is no real controversy for the time being. That’s slightly different than a year ago. The 49ers QB depth chart at this time last year featured Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick, and Christian Ponder.
Gabbert started and was replaced by Kaepernick after five games. Kaepernick was returning from various surgeries, and a tired shoulder cost him the first two preseason games. I imagine a healthy Kaepernick would have beat out Gabbert from the start, but we’ll never know at this point.
In voting on this poll, I would say factor in the players in general as opposed to the specifics of the depth chart at this point last year. I don’t think many people were surprised when Gabbert was benched, and it was generally a mess for most of last year anyway.
2016 QB depth chart: Blaine Gabbert/Colin Kaepernick, Christian Ponder
2017 QB depth chart: Brian Hoyer, C.J. Beathard
I still think Colin Kaepernick is a more talented quarterback than Brian Hoyer, but given the state of the 49ers and what Kyle Shanahan is looking to do, the team is better in some ways at the position. It’s a weird comparison given the players involved and what the offense as a whole is looking to do.
Poll
Are the 49ers better, worse or the same at quarterback compared to the start of 2016?
This poll is closed
-
66%
Better
-
15%
Worse
-
17%
Same