NFL
Will the 49ers Sign Former New York Giants Quarterback Daniel Jones?
SANTA CLARA — The 49ers need a backup quarterback and the New York Giants just released Daniel Jones. Will the 49ers sign him?
Keep in mind, the 49ers’ backup quarterbacks currently are Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs. Their combined career win-loss record is 5-18. So neither one would offer the 49ers much hope if Brock Purdy were to miss a game or two with shoulder soreness. The 49ers haven’t yet ruled out Purdy for Sunday’s game against the Packers, but he had an MRI on Thursday, and general manager John Lynch said Purdy’s status is “tenuous.”
If Purdy can’t play, Lynch said that Allen will start in his place. And as of now, it seems quite realistic that Allen will have to start. And it’s possible Allen will beat Green Bay — funny things happen in sports. But it’s much more likely that he’ll lose and play poorly. His career win-loss record is 2-7. He should be a third-string quarterback at best.
So why not sign Jones?
He’s better than Allen, he has lots of playing experience and he never has been on a team as good as the 49ers. It’s possible the supporting cast could elevate his performance the way it elevated Jimmy Garoppolo once upon a time. Jones isn’t worse than him.
Of course, I don’t expect the 49ers to sign Jones. Doing so would be bold. It would be much easier to do nothing, start Allen, lose and say, “Oh well.”