Getty Ben Roethlisberger throwing against the San Francisco 49ers defense.
The San Francisco 49ers are a team absolutely loaded with talent. They have a dominant defense that leads the NFL in points allowed per drive at 1.35, an offensive line that has allowed just 23 sacks, and an offense that could feature as many as five Pro Bowlers when operating at full strength.
For a veteran quarterback who recently retired but maybe still has the itch to get back on the field for one final ride, traveling out to San Francisco to play under Kyle Shanahan could be an incredibly interesting proposition. Talking his weekly Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast, the long-time Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and his co-host Spencer T’eo brought up the prospects of playing in San Francisco, and needless to say, the comments were eliminating.
“Let’s go north in California to my old stomping grounds,” T’eo said h/t Steelers Nation. “Because they don’t have a quarterback either. Jimmy G gets hurt, this is a very good team. As a fan of the 49ers, I’d like to see it. Is that arm a little loose?”
“I thought about it,” Roethlisberger replied smiling and performing arm circles as if he was warming up. “That team is one of the better teams in football and that defense is really stinking good and they did it with Purdy.”
Did Roethlisberger actually reach out to the 49ers about the prospects of playing for San Francisco? Shanahan had never actually commented on prospects, so it’s impossible to say, but based on how the 49ers’ defense and offense have operated with Purdy under center, it certainly seems possible.
Kyle Shanahan Considered Calling 2 49ers Legends
Speaking with reporters during Baker Mayfield’s brief yet interesting free agency period, Shanahan was asked if any retired quarterbacks had reached out about returning to the game. Humorously, he named the two quarterbacks he’d like to see return to the field and long-time Niners fans will certainly appreciate the name checks, as transcribed by NBC Sports Bay Area.
“No, we haven’t,” Shanahan said. “(We’re) still waiting on Joe [Montana] to call.”
Asked if Steve Young would be offended by Montana getting the call first, Shanahan assured everyone in attendance that he knows the Hall of Famer can still go.
“Steve. I’m definitely ready for Steve,” Shanahan said. “I think he could still run it, so let’s do it.”
The 49ers Opted Against Claiming Baker Mayfield
Though it was ultimately a moot point, as the Los Angeles Rams were fifth in waiver order versus the 49ers, who came in at 24, according to Albert Breer, John Lynch did not put in a waiver claim on Mayfield when he was released by the Carolina Panthers in early December, as reported by Adam Schefter.
After watching Mayfield lead the Rams to an incredibly improbable victory from the two yard line with 1:35 left to play in the fourth, some fans felt some envy for the 49ers’ NFC West rivals, as the former first-overall pick presents far more intrigue as a backup instead of Josh Johnson. Still, with no games left to play against either Los Angeles team, the 49ers really don’t have to worry about Mayfield messing up their playoff odds.
If anything, Mayfield and the Rams may make the Seattle Seahawks‘ Week 18 contest a bit more challenging, which is good news for San Francisco, who could be fighting with Pete Carroll’s team until the end of the season for the division crown.