Plenty of NFL teams carry only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Through two-plus years in the league, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh hadn’t been one of them.
But with receiver Michael Crabtree back, a roster spot was needed. Harbaugh sacrificed his No. 3 quarterback, McCleod Bethel-Thompson.
So with Bethel-Thompson now on the practice squad and ineligible to serve as the third option on game day, what will Harbaugh do at the emergency quarterback position?
“That’s a good question,” Harbaugh told reporters on Friday.
Harbaugh then admitted that receiver Anquan Boldin played quarterback in high school. So will Boldin be the emergency quarterback?
“We’ll let you know if we’re in that position,” Harbaugh said.
For many of the teams that carry only two quarterbacks, the reasoning is simple. If they get down to the third quarterback during a game, they’re pretty much screwed anyway.
If the Niners lose Colin Kaepernick and Colt McCoy on Sunday, they’ll be pretty much screwed anyway. But it’ll be interesting to see who takes the snaps.
Maybe Harbaugh will.