Brock Purdy has catapulted from Mr. Irrelevant to star quarterback for the 49ers in his first two NFL seasons. Now he’s leading No. 1 seed San Francisco into the playoffs.
The last pick in the seventh and final round of the 2022 NFL draft, Purdy proved himself as one of the league’s most efficient passers in 2023. He put himself into MVP contention with 4,280 yards and 31 passing touchdowns while leading the league in passer rating in QBR.
Still, even the best need a good backup. San Francisco carries two more quarterbacks on its roster, each of whom is available to step into Kyle Shanahan’s system.
Here’s what you need to know about the 49ers’ quarterback depth chart in the 2024 NFL playoffs.
Who is the 49ers’ backup quarterback?
Purdy, 24, has cemented himself as the starter for San Francisco. Should he be unavailable, though, the Niners have a former top-three pick as his backup.
Sam Darnold is Purdy’s lead understudy. The 26-year-old has played for three teams in the last four seasons in the Jets, Panthers and 49ers. In his first season in San Francisco, he started in just one game: the regular-season finale, in which he completed 16-of-26 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in a 21-20 loss.
The No. 3 overall selection out of USC in the 2018 NFL draft, Darnold spent three seasons as the starting quarterback for the Jets. In 2021, he was traded to the Panthers, where he played his next two seasons.
49ers QB depth chart
Rank Player
1 Brock Purdy
2 Sam Darnold
3 Brandon Allen
Brandon Allen fills out the 49ers’ quarterback room as the third-stringer.
A former Arkansas star, Allen started his career as a backup quarterback for the Jaguars in 2016. He also played for the Rams, Broncos and Bengals before joining San Francisco in 2023.
Most notably, he stepped in as the Bengals’ starter in 2020 when star Joe Burrow tore his ACL. In five starts, he threw for 925 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions.
