The San Francisco 49ers were reportedly interested in signing Andy Dalton this offseason. The former Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys quarterback ended up signing a one-year, $10 million deal with the Chicago Bears, where he will help mentor rookie Justin Fields.

That was too pricey for the 49ers, apparently,


According to analyst Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, head coach Kyle Shanahan really wanted to add Dalton and wasn't happy when the veteran quarterback slipped through the 49ers' fingertips.

"They wanted to sign Andy Dalton in free agency as their veteran quarterback and then trade (Jimmy) Garoppolo and draft Lance," Pauline wrote in a recent mailbag. "I'm told Shanahan was pretty upset when they did not land Dalton."

Who knows what might have happened, had San Francisco been able to sign Dalton? If Pauline's report is accurate, Shanahan obviously thought highly of the 33-year-old veteran quarterback. Ten days after Chicago added Dalton, the 49ers traded up nine spots in the draft to the No. 3 overall spot.

What would the quarterback room look like right now with Dalton on the roster? Would Garoppolo even be on the roster right now? Would it have been Dalton, Lance, and another quarterback?

When San Francisco was looking into acquiring a veteran quarterback — Joe Flacco was another — it was largely assumed the team wanted a reliable backup for Garoppolo, should the quarterback miss more time. Maybe it had a different plan in mind.


Garoppolo remains a part of the roster and is slated to be the starter when Week 1 of the 2021 season arrives. There is no hurry for Lance to get onto the football field. He will be able to sit and learn behind Garoppolo.

"I stated all along Lance was the best fit for the Shanahan offense," Pauline added. "He processes information quicker than Fields, and his arm strength and physical skills are light years ahead of (Mac) Jones."

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