QBs keep going down, so 49ers add Tampa Bay reserve Rosen
The 49ers began the season wondering whether they had a franchise quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo.
Three months later, they briefly might have wondered this week if they would end the season with a quarterback, period.
Before making an emergency move Tuesday afternoon to sign Josh Rosen off Tampa Bay’s practice squad, the 49ers had just one healthy QB, thirdstringer C. J. Beathard, on their roster four days before playing the Cardinals.
That’s because fillin starter Nick Mullens suffered a serious injury to his right elbow in Sunday’s loss to Dallas that might require Tommy John surgery. And their lone quarterback on the practice squad, Josh Johnson, was put on the reserve/ COVID19 list Tuesday.
As for Garoppolo, he returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since he aggravated his ankle sprain Nov. 1. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he’d be “very surprised” if Garoppolo played in the final two regularseason games for a
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That left the 49ers with one option to provide Beathard with a backup. The 49ers had to sign a QB off another team’s practice squad because a player such as Rosen was already in the NFL’s coronavirustesting program and could join them immediately. If the 49ers signed a freeagent QB, they would have to wait six days for him to pass through the testing protocol before he was available.
On Tuesday, before Rosen’s signing had been announced, Shanahan said it might be a challenge to sign a QB from a contending team because they could be turning down postseason money. However, Rosen, the No. 10 pick in 2018 who is on his fourth team, opted to leave Tampa Bay ( 95), which likely will make the playoffs.
“You’ll try ( to sign) anyone you can and if they say no, you go to the next one,” Shanahan said. “So it’s always harder with a playoff team, because they’re going to get the playoff bonus.”
The 49ers’ top two quarterbacks are now recent draft picks who have endured early career struggles. Beathard, a 2017 thirdround pick, ranks 48th in passer rating ( 77.2) among the 51 QBs have thrown 400 passes since 2017. Rosen ( 63.5) ranks 50th.
The 49ers’ quarterback chaos began Sunday when Mullens was injured when his right elbow was hit in midthrow by a defender with just under two minutes left in the loss at Dallas.
Shanahan said the swelling needs to subside before the severity of the injury is determined, but he acknowledged that Tommy John surgery, which is far more common in baseball pitchers, was a possibility. A quarterback can return faster from the procedure than a pitcher, who is typically sidelined for at least 12 months.
However, it’s not clear whether Mullens, who will be a restricted free agent, would be ready for the start of the 2021 season. The most notable case of an NFL QB having Tommy John surgery involved Carolina’s Jake Delhomme, who was injured in September 2007. Delhomme was cleared to play seven months later and led the Panthers to a 124 record the next season.
Garoppolo, who remains on injured reserve, has yet to be medically cleared.
The 49ers appear to want to get him some seasonending practice work, but don’t intend for him to play after surgery was considered last month on his ankle.
Shanahan said he would feel comfortable playing Garoppolo if the medical staff indicated it was “100% safe.”
“I’d be very surprised if that happens,” Shanahan said. “Right now, he’s safe to go out to practice … but we’re going to be very safe with him this week and we’ll see next week. But I’d be very surprised if that changes.”