Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Matt Schaub could follow offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to the San Francisco 49ers after he becomes the new head coach.
Falcons QB Matt Schaub could follow Atlanta OC Kyle Shanahan to SF, per sources. Schaub could be starter, backup or bridge to future SF QB.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 5, 2017
Schaub could be the team's starting quarterback, a backup, or a temporary solution until the 49ers identify and acquire a quarterback of the future. Schaub is scheduled to become a free agent in March after signing a one-year deal with Atlanta in March of 2016. It was his second stint with the Falcons, the team that drafted Schaub out of Virginia in third round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Schaub's best season as a quarterback came in 2009 with the Houston Texans, when Shanahan was his offensive coordinator there. Schaub passed for 4,770 yards, completing 67.9 percent of his passes while throwing 29 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. It was one of three 4,000-plus yard seasons (2009, 2010, 2012) that Schaub had with Houston. Over his entire career, Schaub has passed for 24,867 yards, thrown 133 touchdowns and 90 interceptions.
"Shanahan, who is expected to be named the 49ers' new head coach as soon as Monday, always has liked and respected Schaub's play, from the time he was a Pro Bowl quarterback for him with the Texans, to his current role as backup quarterback in Atlanta," reports Schefter.
Colin Kaepernick will reportedly opt out of the remainder of his contract with the 49ers and become a free agent, leaving the team without a quarterback signed for 2017.