The San Francisco 49ers worked out five quarterbacks on Tuesday, September 20: Kurt Benkert, Garrett Gilbert, Mike Glennon, Kevin Hogan, and AJ McCarron.
Of the five, the Niners must have liked what they had seen from Benkert the most and signed him to the practice squad following the workout, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The 49ers were in need of a 3rd string quarterback behind Brock Purdy and QB1 Jimmy Garoppolo after Trey Lance underwent season-ending surgery on Monday to repair a fractured right ankle and ligament damage.
Benkert’s Release by Atlanta Was Heartbreaking
Benkert split his collegiate career playing for East Carolina and the University of Virginia.
And then after going undrafted in 2018, he landed on Atlanta’s practice squad for his rookie year. He returned the following season but didn’t make it past the preseason after a toe injury put him on the IR. He came back to compete in 2020 but COVID-19 canceled the league’s preseason, so, once again, Benkert lost out on a chance to showcase his talents.
Still, he really thought he had a shot to make the team’s final roster following an outstanding offseason at camp and all of the hard work he had put in.
What Benkert Was Up to Before Landing in San Francisco
After getting cut by Green Bay in mid-June, Benkert waited by the phone, hoping another team would call.
It was 1 Week away from NFL kickoff and Benkert had yet to hear the phone ring. He did have a tryout with the Tennesee Titans in August, but nothing came about from it.
As he waited he continued to train and did consulting work for tech companies.
“I got a taste of life after football and it’s not so scary,” Benkert said after landing in San Francisco. “But at the same time, I missed the sh*t out of this and I’m happy to be back practicing, learning installs and going through the prep of it.”
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