Kyle Shanahan officially reveals 49ers backup QB while Brock Purdy is out

There’ll be an all-new quarterback group for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday when they visit the New Orleans Saints.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday said the team officially ruled out starting QB Brock Purdy in Friday’s injury report. That opens the door for Mac Jones to step into the No. 1 QB role, but it also raises a question mark about who the backup QB will be.

The 49ers didn’t roll with three QBs on their 53-man roster the way they did last season when Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs both sat behind Purdy. Instead, they’ll turn to the practice squad where Adrian Martinez will be elevated as the No. 2 QB − a move Shanahan wasn’t sure about Monday when he spoke with reporters.

“It’s a possibility,” Shanahan said on a conference call. “I think it has to do with really how Brock is probably over these next 24 hours throughout the week. But that stuff we’ll look into. We’ve been happy to get Adrian here. I heard good things about him from the Jets and really enjoyed him last week in our first week of practice together just watching him a little bit and getting to know him some. But, all that stuff will be fluid probably throughout the week and in the next 24 hours.”

Martinez joined the NFL in 2023 as an undrafted rookie with the Detroit Lions. He’s yet to play in an NFL game, but he was the United Football League MVP for the 2024 season with the Birmingham Stallions. He was also the MVP of the championship game. Despite Martinez not having any regular season experience, the 49ers elected to stick with him as their QB2 in the second week thanks to a couple good weeks of practice.

“I mean, he’s been good these two weeks learning both these game plans,” Shanahan said Friday. “This week he got the most reps that he’s gotten, at least with the scout team. We work on everything with him after practice, but … we’d have to see him in a game. I’m comfortable with him going in and executing. Really liked him here these first two weeks. If it comes to that we’ll be ready to go, though.”

Shanahan may be okay with the idea of Martinez executing a game plan, but San Francisco is surely hoping his NFL debut will wait.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers depth chart: QB Adrian Martinez will back up Mac Jones in Week 2