No Matthew Stafford for the 49ers - now what?

The 49ers are not getting Matthew Stafford to play quarterback for them next year. For many San Francisco fans, seeing the news of his trade to the Rams felt like that birthday you got socks instead of the thing you really wanted (thanks, Aunt Hilda). So, with Stafford officially off the table, where do the 49ers go from here?

Niner Nate, Levin Black and I decided to sit down for a roundtable podcast to chase away our sorrows and begin to piece together the options San Francisco could pursue the rest of this offseason. Is it Deshaun Watson or bust for this front office? Does Matt Ryan enter the picture?

I had one particular idea that I could see coming into focus for 2021. What if Kyle Shanahan finally gives the go-ahead to chase after his first love? Mike Florio has been talking about it this offseason as well - what if Kyle finally gets Kirk Cousins?

“I want it. Kirk’s better than anything we have,” Nate said, “He’s proven he can do it. Kirk Cousins is good. The misconception that Kirk Cousins is not good is crazy to me. He’s probably the 10th or 11th best quarterback in the league and right now you have, what, 18 or 19? It’s an upgrade.”

There is the entire offseason to go, but everything has to be on the table for the 49ers. Which was the point of the roundtable. We talked about what’s available, what makes sense, and what it would take to get it done. Take a listen in the player below or on any major podcast platform.

Other topics in the episode

-Did the 49ers make a mistake by not getting Stafford?

-Do they need Deshaun Watson to compete in the NFC West?

-Who are the backup QB options if Jimmy stays?