Brock Purdy has steadied the quarterback carousel in San Francisco — but what if it gets out of whack in the playoffs?
The 49ers have dealt with a rotating door of quarterback play in 2022. Starter Trey Lance injured his ankle in Week 1, leading to a season-ending IR stint. Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a foot injury in Week 13, leading to the Purdy run all the way to the NFC championship game.
Through it all, the steady hand of Kyle Shanahan, the emergence of Purdy and an all-world defense have helped push the 49ers to within a step of the Super Bowl once again. Now, they may have to navigate things without their breakout QB.
MORE: 4 reasons to believe in Brock Purdy
The 49ers had to go to QB No. 4 in the NFC championship game vs. the Eagles, after Purdy suffered an elbow injury in the first quarter. Since the 49ers had to break glass in case of emergency, here’s the lever they have to pull:
Who is the 49ers backup quarterback?
With Brock Purdy ending up with an elbow injury, the next man up is veteran backup Josh Johnson.
With Trey Lance on season-ending IR and Jimmy Garoppolo’s status unclear as he recovers from a foot injury, Johnson entered the playoffs as QB2 on the depth chart. After Garoppolo was injured in Week 13, San Francisco signed Johnson off the Broncos’ practice squad.
Johnson is playing for his 14th NFL team, though he has only been active for seven teams total. This marks the fourth time that Johnson has been rostered by the 49ers.
Here’s the rundown of NFL teams that he’s played for through his career.
| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2008-11 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2012* | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2012 | Cleveland Browns |
| 2013 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2014* | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2015* | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2015* | New York Jets |
| 2015 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2015 | Buffalo Bills |
| 2016* | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2016* | New York Giants |
| 2017 | Houston Texans |
| 2018* | Oakland Raiders |
| 2018 | Washington |
| 2019* | Detroit Lions |
| 2020-21* | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2021 | New York Jets |
| 2021 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2022 | Denver Broncos |
| 2022 | San Francisco 49ers |
*Indicates offseason/practice squad member.
In his career, Johnson has appeared in 39 games with nine starts, throwing for 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions over 2,280 yards. He last started a game in 2021 for the Ravens, a spot start to replace the injured Lamar Jackson and a COVID-stricken Tyler Huntley. He also appeared in a game with the Jets.
49ers quarterback depth chart
The 49ers are currently rostering two active quarterbacks on game day: Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson. Johnson took snaps in the NFC championship game in relief of an injured Purdy.
Trey Lance will not play before the end of the season, and Jimmy Garoppolo is working back from a foot injury suffered in early December.
Here’s how the San Francisco depth chart lines up entering the NFC championship round:
| Rank | Quarterback |
|---|---|
| 1 | Brock Purdy |
| 2 | Josh Johnson |
| 3 | Jimmy Garoppolo (Injured) |
| 4 | Trey Lance (IR) |