The San Francisco 49ers plucked quarterback Josh Rosen off of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad out of necessity. The team had already lost Nick Mullens to an elbow injury. Jimmy Garoppolo isn't ready to return yet. Then, general manager John Lynch woke up on Tuesday morning to the news that practice squad quarterback Josh Johnson would be added to the COVID-19 list.
The 49ers needed a quarterback and needed one badly.
So, enter Josh Rosen, the former first-round pick who will back up C.J. Beathard on Saturday against the team that drafted Rosen and then cast him aside after one season — the Arizona Cardinals.
"At the end of the day, we didn't like doing that to Tampa," Lynch told Adam Copeland and Marcus Thompson on KNBR. "Tampa had spent the year with him, but we were able to sign him off their practice squad. That's a big assignment to try to learn an offense in a week.
"I know from scouting Josh and scouting him hard through the process (of the 2018 draft), intelligence is one of his top attributes. He's incredibly smart, and he's working incredibly hard with (quarterbacks coach) Shane Day, (passing-game coordinator) Mike LaFleur, with Kyle, with everybody to try to get a package, at least, that he can run in an emergency.
"We're appreciative to Josh in having faith in us. And it really is a nice little chance to take a look at a very talented player, and we'll see where it goes from there. But right now, it's pedal to the metal trying to learn our system."
Lynch added that just getting out of the huddle can be a challenge for a new quarterback learning head coach Kyle Shanahan's playbook. Even the verbiage can be difficult.
"Obviously, they would tailor that for him," Lynch added.
Shanahan was grateful the 49ers could find a quarterback like Rosen, and like Lynch, was grateful Rosen was willing to leave the Buccaneers.
"For Josh to be willing to come here, especially leaving a place that he was in, with a team that's most likely going to the playoffs and maybe can so some stuff after, that was exciting for us," Shanahan said Wednesday on KNBR. "And to also know that we got a guy in here who did get drafted in the first round, who's got some ability with his arm, it was exciting.
"We were going to get someone, and we need that body. And to get someone with his ability was pretty cool."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
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