SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers brought in seven quarterbacks for a group workout Tuesday in order to compile an order of preference in case the team decides to sign one of those options in the coming weeks.
The 49ers are sticking with starter C.J. Beathard and backup Nick Mullens through at least the Week 4 game at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Coach Kyle Shanahan said he would like for the 49ers to sign another quarterback, but other issues on the team are preventing that from happening after Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-ending knee injury.
“I wish we could sign extra quarterbacks, extra wideouts, extra safeties,” Shanahan said Wednesday. “But we have a 53-man roster, and we got a lot of guys banged up. We have a lot of guys who are questionable, and we won’t know until the end of the week if they’re playing or not. So those aren’t candidates (for injured reserve), and they’re definitely not guys we’re willing to cut.”
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Among the starting players the 49ers aren't sure will be available for Sunday are running back Matt Breida, safeties Adrian Colbert and Jaquiski Tartt. Cornerback Richard Sherman will miss at least two games with a mid-calf strain.
The 49ers hosted the following free-agent quarterbacks on their practice field Tuesday: Landry Jones, E.J. Manuel, Kellen Clemens, Tom Savage, Matt Simms , T.J. Yates and Kyle Allen. The team hasn't considered trading for a quarterback, Shanahan said.
After the workout, the 49ers ranked the quarterbacks, Shanahan confirmed. So if the organization wants to add a quarterback later, the homework already has been done.
“We’re just trying to take a look at all of those guys,” Shanahan said. “They’re all guys we’ve seen film on before. I think workouts are extremely overrated. A lot of guys can throw on air. Everyone who plays at the NFL level can throw on air, it’s how you play the position. So you go off the tape that you watch.
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“And you bring guys in to see where they’re at, to make sure they haven’t just been sitting on the couch for the last couple of months, and they are still working out and they can still function.”
Adding a third quarterback at this point is a luxury the 49ers cannot afford because typically just two quarterbacks take snaps in practices during the regular season. Beathard will handle almost all of the team’s practice snaps, and Mullens will be the quarterback for the scout team going up against the 49ers’ first-team defense. The 49ers and the Chargers, under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, run schemes with the same basic principles.
“The nice thing is the defenses are similar,” Shanahan said. “Nick will be going against our defense most of the week in practice and the team we’re playing Sunday is very similar defenses. This week will be a benefit.”