San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has a good idea who his backup quarterback will be come Week 1 of the regular season. It sounded like he might reveal the winner during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, but the coach isn't showing his cards just yet.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area asked Shanahan where he was in deciding who his backup quarterback might be.
"I'm in a pretty good spot," Shanahan responded.
The coach added, "Where are you?"
"I think we're good as well," Maiocco answered.
"Alright," Shanahan added. "You want me to tell you?"
The reporters did, but Shanahan decided against it. Instead, he discussed his confidence in the two quarterbacks behind starter Jimmy Garoppolo.
"I believe in both these guys, and I believe they can play," Shanahan said. "We'll see who we decide to go in with with the second group this week. I haven't decided that yet. And whoever we do, we plan on the next guy getting a lot (of work) in Week 4.
"I'll never make a decision before the fourth preseason game comes, but usually the backups are the guys who play, really, the entire game."
Shanahan later noted that you shouldn't read too much into who comes in after Garoppolo against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.
"It's been a fun battle to watch, and I think both of them are playing better than they have the last two years," Shanahan said.
He added, "I know we have two backup quarterbacks who are both capable of starting, and I would be happy with either one as our backup. One of those guys is going to win the job. We will make that decision. I do not see myself making that decision until I absolutely have to, and that probably won't be until the final 53. But if we make it before that, and there's no advantage to hiding it, I promise I'll let you guys know."
