Technically, the San Francisco 49ers won in Week 13, as Kyle Shanahan’s squad was able to outduel his former offensive coordinator Mike Daniel, but after watching Jimmy Garoppolo, the team’s feel-good story of the year, suffer an injury eventually diagnosed as a broken foot, that all went out the window.
A fourth-straight win is a fourth-straight win, and considering the Seattle Seahawks also won in Week 13, said win keeps San Francisco in sole ownership of the top spot in the NFL West, but will Shanahan’s squad be able to overcome losing a second quarterback to a season-ending injury, with just “Mr. Irrelevant,” Brock Purdy on the 53-man roster?
Fans didn’t have to wait long to find out, as immediately following Shanahan’s announcement of Garoppolo’s status, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the 49ers had signed veteran journeyman signal-caller Josh Johnson off of the Denver Broncos’ practice squad.
Johnson, who according to Pro Football Reference is the cousin of former California and NFL star Marshawn Lynch, will now join Purdy on the 49ers’ active roster and take part in a quarterbacks room that also features Jacob Eason, the Indianapolis Colts fourth-round pick who is currently signed to the practice squad.
According to David Lombardi of The Athletic, Johnson is tentatively expected to serve as the 49ers’ QB2, with Purdy to remain in the starting lineup and Eason behind glass in case of emergency on the practice squad. While that is obviously subject to change, for now, it would appear Purdy’s spot in the starting lineup is safe.
Josh Johnson Has Extensive Experience With the 49ers
Though it’s never good to lose a quarterback in the middle of a season, let alone to sign a 36-year-old quarterback off of a practice squad to help fill the void he left, Johnson has more experience in a 49ers uniform than any other quarterback on the roster, which is incredible for more reasons than one.
Initially drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL draft, Johnson first signed with the team in 2012 under then-head coach Jim Harbaugh, whom he played for at San Diego State. From there, Johnson first returned to the team in 2014 after stints with the Sacramento Mountain Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals, and then signed with the team’s practice squad in November of 2020 after a stint with the now-defunct Los Angeles Wildcats.
Now in his fourth tenure with the team, his second under Shanahan, Johnson brings nine starts and 37 professional appearances over his 15 years as a professional football player and should be able to at least pick up on San Francisco’s offensive scheme relatively quickly, as he’s been part of it before.
Don’t Expect A Ninth Inning Trey Lance Return
Even with Johnson in place, the 49ers’ best chance to do some damage in the playoffs would be with one of the quarterbacks who began the year at one and two on the depth chart, Trey Lance and Garoppolo. With Garoppolo’s foot months away from being healthy enough to play football again, he’s officially out of consideration, but what about Lance? Could he make a return in the bottom of the ninth to lead San Francisco into the playoffs after landing on IR with an ankle injury in Week 2?
Shanahan was asked this question after his post-game press conference by Tim Kawakami of The Athletic and, unfortunately, threw water on the idea.
“From what I’ve been told, no,” Shanahan told Kawakami. “He’s not physically able to. If he could, hell yeah. But right now, I’ve been told no on that.”
This isn’t the first time Shanahan has shot down a Lance return in 2022, as in late November, he again was asked and shot down the prospect of the North Dakota State product returning in 2022. Still, if this storybook season is going to have a happy ending, the best chance remains in Lance miraculously making it work Brian Wilson-style as a relief arm at the bottom of the ninth.
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