When the 49ers signed quarterback David Carr to serve as Alex Smith’s backup, they made it clear that Shaun Hill is not in their plans.
So Hill is officially on the trading block, and Matt Maiocco of the Press Democrat reports that the 49ers have given Hill permission to seek a trade.
It’s hard to see why any team would trade for Hill when it’s obvious that he’ll be available for nothing once the 49ers release him, but having permission to talk to other teams at least allows Hill to get an idea of what his options will be assuming he does, in fact, get cut.
And even if Hill isn’t in the 49ers’ plans, he ought to be able to catch on somewhere. The 49ers have gone 10-6 in games Hill has started, which is a lot better than they’ve been with Smith, and Hill’s career passer rating of 87.3 is respectable.
So Hill could be of some value to a team seeking a backup quarterback. Even if he’s not valuable enough for a team to trade a draft pick to get him.