The San Francisco 49ers have officially signed quarterback Tom Savage. Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the move on Tuesday, and said the team released tight end Cole Wick to make room on the roster.
Fooch’s update: Shanahan had this to say about Savage during his Tuesday press conference.
“Just looking at the guys out there, there’s one thing I always liked about Savage, from coming out of college. He’s got a strong arm. He’s a very tough player. He hangs in that pocket and plays the potion well. I was a fan of his coming out of college. He’s gotten to play in a number of NFL games so he’s been battle tested. He was in a tough situation in Houston that didn’t work out for him, but I got to study him this preseason when he was in New Orleans and they have some similarities in their offense as ours. He had some high praises from [New Orleans Saints head coach] Sean Payton on him and I was excited that he was available.”
The move is not surprising in that Shanahan has said he would like to bring in a third quarterback. C.J. Beathard plays a style of quarterback that seems an injury is a very real possibility, so I get wanting to have more bodies. The team is not trying to tank the season, but this is the kind of move that is more of a, let’s just get through it and back to Jimmy Garoppolo if things go south. Shanahan said he likes Savage’s arm and ability in the pocket. There is no word on if Uncle Rico was available.
The decision to release Wick is not surprising after the team promoted tight end Ross Dwelley from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Monday. Wick was playing mostly special teams, but in Week 5 dropped what looked like a sure touchdown. It’s safe to say that played into the decision to bring up Dwelley and now release Wick.