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Former Chicago Bears quarterback Brian Griese is leaving his job as an analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football to become the new quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers.
The news was first reported by NFL insider Adam Schefter on March 4. Griese, who has worked for ESPN since 2009 and has been on MNF since 2020, has no previous coaching experience in the NFL. He does, however, have connections.
Griese has worked with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan before, when he played QB for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004-05 and Shanahan served as the Bucs’ offensive quality control coach. Now, Griese will be tasked with helping Shanahan develop second-year quarterback Trey Lance. He replaces Rich Scangarello, who left San Francisco to be the next offensive coordinator for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Former Monday Night Football analyst Brian Griese is leaving ESPN to become the Quarterbacks Coach for the 49ers, sources tell @SethWickersham and me. Griese and Kyle Shanahan have known each other for years; Griese played QB in Tampa when Shanahan was on the Bucs coaching staff.
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A Look Back at Griese’s Playing Days
Griese played his college ball at Michigan, and he led the Wolverines to a national championship in 1997. Fun fact: His successor at Michigan after he was taken in the third round of the 1998 draft by the Denver Broncos was a little-known QB named Tom Brady.
Griese, who is the son of former Miami Dolphins Super Bowl-winning quarterback Bob Griese, spent the bulk of his career in Denver, playing in the Mile High City from 1998-2002. He wound up winning a Super Bowl his rookie season as a third-stringer with the Broncos behind John Elway and Bubby Brister, and was named the starter after Elway’s retirement.
He started 51 games for the Broncos, making the Pro Bowl in 2000 after completing 64.3% of his passes for 2,688 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions.
In addition to the Bears, Bucs and Broncos, Griese also played for the Dolphins for a lone year in 2003.
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Griese Had Brief Yet Memorable Stint in Chicago
Griese played QB for the Bears for the 2006 and 2007 seasons, which were memorable ones for the team. The Bears went to the Super Bowl after winning the conference championship and finishing 13-3 in their 2006 campaign, and Griese served as backup to former starter Rex Grossman.
Due to injuries and Grossman’s incompetence, Griese made a few memorable appearances, including leading Chicago to a 27-20 comeback victory over Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in 2007. Griese threw the go-ahead touchdown to former Bears’ tight end Desmond Clark with just 2:05 left in the game. He also led a 97-yard game-winning drive to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 19-16, that season.
𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟕
Brian Griese leads the Bears down the field for a game-winning drive, finding Muhsin Muhammad with :09 seconds to go!
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE
Griese ultimately played in 13 games for Chicago, starting six. He went 3-3 as a starter, and completed 60.9% of his passes for 2,023 yards, 11 TDs and 14 interceptions during his two years with the Bears.
Over his 11-year career in the NFL, Griese, who turns 48 on March 18, finished with a 45-38 record as a starter, while throwing for 19,440 yards, 119 touchdowns and 99 interceptions.
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Ex-Bears QB Lands New Gig as 49ers Coach: Report