Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk remains convinced that Kyle Shanahan still has eyes for Kirk Cousins. Upon taking the San Francisco 49ers head coach job in 2017, Shanahan hoped to build his offense around Cousins. That never came to fruition, and the team has been searching for an answer at quarterback since.
Since 2015, Cousins has passed for over 4,000 yards in all but one season (2017). The quarterback has had a productive career but has often been devalued by fans due to failures to come up big when it counted.
Florio joined the Rich Eisen Show on Thursday and was asked about the 49ers' quarterback situation. The team has praised Brock Purdy's rookie effort last season and hopes the success continues in 2023. However, he is recovering from a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. Trey Lance and Sam Darnold are competing for the QB2 job.
Florio foresees the Niners getting involved in a battle for Cousins' services next year.
"I think you're going to see—unless the Vikings re-sign him by then, and they can't use the franchise tag on him, the way his contract is structured—you're going to see a potential tug of war between Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay for Kirk Cousins next March," Florio told Eisen. "Mark that down."
Florio believes it all comes down to whether Purdy can fully recover from his playoff injury and show that he can stay healthy. The Pro Football Talk writer notes that Cousins has had good fortune regarding health, something that cannot be said about 49ers quarterbacks in recent years. He believes that if Shanahan had gotten Cousins in the first place, the coach might have had some Super Bowl wins by now.
Cousins is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next year and will be 36 years old entering the 2024 season. Could Shanahan look to pursue the Vikings quarterback seven years after first looking to do so?
As for the current group of 49ers quarterbacks, Florio shared his thoughts on that situation. He believes that if Purdy suffers a setback in his recovery and can't start Week 1, Darnold will be picked to lead the offense.
"I think they really like Sam Darnold," Florio explained. "When they started putting out the word, and it was Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area who said that Sam Darnold may be the most talented thrower of the football the 49ers have ever had, and people lost their minds. And it's like, well, he didn't make that up."
Florio speculates that Maiocco got that specific piece of insight from Shanahan himself. Later, the 49ers coach was asked about Maiocco's comments.
"I don't think that's a big, controversial statement," Shanahan said in May. "I mean, Sam is an unbelievable thrower. He was born to do that."
However, Shanahan noted that it takes more than ability to thrive in the NFL. It takes timing, vision, the ability to move in the pocket, reacting to what is happening on the field, and more. But as far as pure ability, the coach holds Darnold in high regard.
Florio believes all this Darnold praise is meant to get people comfortable with the idea that the 49ers could go with the veteran rather than the quarterback the team surrendered so much draft capital to acquire.
"But they're not going to trade [Lance]," Florio added, "because QB3 could end up being QB1. That's what happened last year. They've been cursed at the quarterback position."