Even though the 49ers and coach Jim Harbaugh have tabled contract talks for now — which he called “refreshing” — it’s still interesting to watch the push-pull of the organization from afar.
So while roster spots for backup quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Josh Johnson might not be headline news, getting both of them would seem to be a win for Harbaugh.
“I’d really like to,” Harbaugh said of keeping three, via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “We’ve done that most of the time.”
Of course, General Manager Trent Baalke has the final say over the 53-man roster, and the 49ers might not be able to keep a third quarterback with some other spots up in the air.
They’ve kept three in the past, but finished last year with just two, so it’s not clear cut.
They’ve sunk $2 million in guaranteed money into Blaine Gabbert, so they’re probably stuck with him. Gabbert left last night’s game with a shoulder injury, but returned to throw a touchdown. He had X-rays, which were negative.
But Johnson has had an impressive camp, and was 14-of-17 for 135 yards and three touchdowns last night. Johnson played for Harbaugh at the University of San Diego, so he’s a bit of a pet project.
Harbaugh wouldn’t answer a question on which was the backup, but was adamant that Johnson deserved a roster spot.
“I’ve been convinced of that for a while,” Harbaugh said.
If he can convince Baalke of that this weekend, it could be construed as a positive sign for his own future there, as well.