I'll wait.
It's not that easy, huh?
Staley gave it a shot during a conversation with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. He rattled off the names of Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, Trent Dilfer, Chris Weinke, Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, Jimmy Garoppolo, C.J. Beathard, and Nick Mullens.
Staley also named David Carr, but he didn't start during his one season with the 49ers. He played in one game on October 24, 2010, against the Carolina Panthers, but it was in relief of Smith, who was injured during the third quarter.
The three names he couldn't immediately recall? Brian Hoyer, J.T. O'Sullivan, and Troy Smith, the latter two of whom he needed hints before naming.
Those are a lot of quarterbacks, and as shocking as it might be that he forgot Hoyer, who was the starting quarterback for six games at the beginning of the Kyle Shanahan regime, it is even more shocking that he got Chris Weinke. Weinke started just one game during Staley's rookie season in 2007, a 20-7 loss to the Cleveland Browns. It's a start that stands out in his memory, and not in a good way.
"I just remember that because that was hilarious because he got signed, I think, like that week," Staley explained. "He was there for like three days, and it was the last game of the year."
Weinke had actually been on the roster for 18 days, which might tell you something about the impression he made.
"We were already well out of the playoffs, playing for nothing," Staley continued, "and he went out there, and I tell this story. It's a funny story in the NFL.
"He went out there for the opening drive, and he gets everybody in the huddle, and he goes, 'Alright, I don't really know what's going on, so I'm going to call a pass play. Just get open, and I might have to hold onto the ball, but I'll find you. So if you look open, I'm going to throw it.'
"I was like, 'Oh jeez, this is not going to be a good game.' It was to start the game. It wasn't like it was in the third quarter, like, 'Hey, just get open.' It was just like, 'I don't really know what's going on.'"
Click here to listen to the entire conversation over at The Athletic.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers lose projected starting DT Alfred Collins to season-ending injury
The San Francisco 49ers received devastating news this week: they will be without one of their projected starters on the defensive front for the entire 2026 season. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that second-year defensive tackle Alfred Collins tore his patellar... -
49ers mailbag: Is the run defense a concern? Will SF make a trade soon? Can Jack Jones play safety?
The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a big week one win over the Los Angeles Rams, but there's no shortage of questions surrounding this team as they head into week two. We opened the 49ers Webzone Mailbag to get your best 49ers questions. So, let's jump into this week's... -
6 greatest individual seasons in 49ers history: Can anyone top Jerry Rice?
The San Francisco 49ers have been fortunate enough to employ some of the greatest players in NFL history, some of whom have produced the most dominant individual seasons in 49ers history. As a brand new season gets underway, the current group of players will have the chance to... -
49ers Notebook: Kaelon Black shines; Brock Purdy pays up; No setbacks for George Kittle; Avoiding a trap game vs. Dolphins
Rookie running back Kaelon Black showed he is ready to take on whatever role the San Francisco 49ers ask of him. Black finished with 14 carries for 65 yards in Week 1's win over the Los Angeles Rams, four more carries than starter Christian McCaffrey. Black was added to...