Gold Standard: What QB path should the 49ers take next season?

While there may be seven more games to go in the regular season, and months more before we get to the NFL Draft, it’s never too early to hope. Despite the myriad of questions that this team will have to answer once the regular season is over, none looms larger than the question of who will be under center. So, Levin Black and I thought it was worth an episode of the podcast.

There are basically four different paths the Niners could take at the position next year:

1. The Laissez-Faire Option: Everybody comes back (a.k.a. the option nobody should want).
2. The Half-Measure Option: Sign a veteran backup to push Jimmy Garoppolo.
3. The Make-A-Deal Option: Trade for Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, Sam Darnold etc.
4. The Dynasty Option: Draft the QB of the future in April.

While the specifics of options three and four were impossible to pin down because of how much of the season remains to be played, that was part of the fun of breaking it all down.

The possibilities are virtually endless, even before getting to the draft. Does Aaron Rodgers demand to be traded if the Packers fizzle out in the the playoffs once again? Could Jerry Jones be persuaded to move Dak Prescott if Dallas is bad enough to earn a top three draft pick? Could Kyle Shanahan erase all the Adam-Gase-stank off of Sam Darnold?

The draft itself also carries its own questions. How many potential trade partners are there for the 49ers if they wanted to go-for-broke and try to get Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, or Trey Lance? Is a guy like Zach Wilson a better option considering the team may not have to trade up to get him?

Can I make every sentence of this post a question?

Almost.

Levin and I went through it all, including ranking our top three scenarios that we want to see the team take in 2021. It was a fun episode for us to record and hopefully a fun one for you to listen to as well.

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