Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers decided to keep three quarterbacks on the roster: Colin Kaepernick, Colt McCoy and B.J. Daniels. Most NFL teams these days only keep two quarterbacks and one on the practice squad if there is a serious injury.
Prior to the last preseason game, McCoy was named Kaepernick’s backup. Daniels is versatile and more like Kaepernick than McCoy. Though he started the preseason as a returner, Daniels put up some good numbers at the quarterback position. He completed 17 out of 23 passes for 178 yards and a team-high three touchdowns. Though he was sacked five times, he still did not throw an interception.
McCoy put up some good stats as a passer given the limited attempts. He completed 11 out of 19 passes for 109 yards. A case can be made that Daniels should start over McCoy if Kaepernick went down with an injury because he is more athletic than McCoy. Plus, there were rumors of McCoy being traded earlier in the preseason. A case can be made the other way because of McCoy’s experience as a starter in the league when he played for the Cleveland Browns.
In the end, San Francisco’s head coach Jim Harbaugh will make any decision that is in the best interest of the team. And the best thing for the team is to win games and more importantly win the Super Bowl. Daniels may get some time as a returner with second-year running back LaMichael James being out of for 3-4 weeks with a sprained MCL.
