Every week leading up to the start of training camp, 49ers.com will assess groups on the roster as we get closer to the season. To kick things off, we'll begin with the quarterback position and the group's outlook for 2024.
Position Outlook
As the San Francisco 49ers gear up for the 2024 season, all eyes are on starting quarterback Brock Purdy, who enjoys his first healthy offseason since battling injury setbacks and depth chart challenges in previous years. This offseason, the third-year quarterback has been able to fully participate in the team's offseason activities, marking a significant milestone in his career. Purdy's availability for this year's OTAs and minicamp has allowed him to refine his skills and build chemistry with his receivers.
"Here in OTAs, getting with (head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) and going over all the games that we played in, every play, going over situational football, taking that and actually going out on the field – running things, repping things, throwing to the receivers. Last year, I didn't have that," Purdy said at the 49ers 2024 State of the Franchise. "Now that I'm able to attack those kinds of things, I feel like I've gotten better."
The 49ers have also bolstered the depth behind Purdy in this year's offseason. At the start of NFL free agency, San Francisco re-signed Brandon Allen, signed Joshua Dobbs, and following the 2024 NFL Draft, welcomed undrafted rookie Tanner Mordecai to the team.
Allen, the eight-year veteran quarterback, spent the entirety of the last season on San Francisco's active roster. Dobbs found his way to the 49ers after starting for the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings during the 2023 season, and now has the chance to back up Purdy in 2024. Mordecai brings six years of collegiate experience to the 49ers and will also have the ability to compete in training camp.
As Purdy enters his third year in the NFL with a full offseason of work and strengthened depth, the 49ers quarterback position is poised for an exciting training camp and season ahead.
Position Breakdown
- Brandon Allen – 8th Season
- Joshua Dobbs – 8th Season
- Tanner Mordecai – 1st Season
- Brock Purdy – 3rd Season
Quarterback Breakdown
In March, the 49ers re-signed Allen to a one-year deal. Allen was originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round (201st overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Throughout his eight-year NFL career with the Jaguars (2016), Los Angeles Rams (2017-18), Denver Broncos (2019), Cincinnati Bengals (2020-2022) and San Francisco 49ers (2023) he has appeared in 15 games (nine starts) and completed 149-of-263 passing attempts for 1,611 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The veteran quarterback spent the entirety of the last season on San Francisco's active roster after signing with the team as a free agent.
During this year's free agency, the 49ers signed Dobbs to a one-year deal. Dobbs was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round (135th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Throughout his seven-year NFL career with the Steelers (2017-21), Tennessee Titans (2022), Arizona Cardinals (2023) and Minnesota Vikings (2023) he has appeared in 21 games (14 starts) and completed 312-of-502 passing attempts for 2,920 yards and 15 touchdowns.
In 2023, Dobbs appeared in a career-high 13 games (12 starts) and completed 262-of-417 passing attempts for 2,464 yards and 13 touchdowns between his time in Arizona and Minnesota.
In May, the 49ers signed undrafted rookie free agent Mordecai to a one-year deal. Mordecai most recently played as the Wisconsin Badgers starting quarterback.
Throughout his six-year collegiate career, Mordecai has appeared in a total of 46 games (34 starts) at Wisconsin (2023), Southern Methodist (2021-22) and Oklahoma (2018-20) and completed 850-of-1,281 passing attempts for 9,856 yards and 85 touchdowns as well as 238 rushing attempts for 657 yards and eight touchdowns.
In 2023 at Wisconsin, the quarterback started in 10 games and completed 204-of-314 passing attempts for 2,066 yards and nine touchdowns and added 90 rushes for 302 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
In Purdy's two years with the 49ers, the quarterback has completed 422-of-614 passing attempts for a total of 5,654 yards and 44 touchdowns. In his rookie year, Purdy was a top-three finalist for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and following his performance last season, earned nominations for the AP MVP, OPOY and CPOY awards. In 2023, Purdy received his first Pro Bowl recognition after ranking as the top NFL quarterback in several categories.
Purdy has also registered 14 games in his first two seasons with a passer rating of 110.0-or-higher, which ties Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, who set the record as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, for the most such games in a player's first two seasons in NFL history.
Purdy was selected by the 49ers in the seventh round (262nd overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Iowa State.
