
4:51pm: Will probably be Benkert touchdown the gig after this audition, Garafolo tweets. it’s a follow squad deal. The previous Falcons and Packers reserve has been within the NFL since 2018, after arriving as a UDFA out of Virginia. Benkert, 27, has appeared in only one sport — with the 2021 Packers — and doesn’t have a regular-season go on his resume but. Benkert performed beneath Kyle Shanahan Falcons OC successor Steve Sarkesian and spent a 12 months in Matt LaFleur‘s West Coast offense.
3:59pm: Trey Lance‘s harm reopens the door for Jimmy Garoppolo, nevertheless it additionally leaves the 49ers susceptible. Garoppolo has battled a bunch of accidents since coming to San Francisco, and the group is trying into reserve choices.
Chief amongst them is A.J. McCarron, who was one in all 5 quarterbacks at a Tuesday 49ers exercise, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Mike Glennon, Garrett Gilbert, Kevin Hogan and Kurt Benkert additionally trekked to the Bay Space for this audition. This 12 months’s Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, is the one different QB on San Francisco’s 53-man roster.
The Falcons didn’t re-sign McCarron, whose 2021 deal didn’t result in any sport motion. A summer time 2021 ACL tear sidelined the previous Bengals backup, however the veteran arm expressed curiosity in returning to the league this 12 months. The Browns labored out McCarron in July however went with Josh Rosen as an alternative.
Now 32, McCarron has been with 4 groups — Raiders and Texans stints got here in between his Cincinnati and Atlanta stays — over an eight-year profession. His solely notable sport motion got here again in 2015, when Andy Dalton‘s late-season harm despatched the Alabama alum into motion. McCarron had the Bengals on the precipice of a wild-card win over the Steelers; late-game penalties helped down Cincinnati that night time. Since that four-start season, McCarron has made only one extra begin — with the 2019 Texans — however has continued to generate curiosity.
Glennon, 32, spent final season with the Giants however has bounced across the league since his Buccaneers keep resulted in 2016. Glennon struggled throughout his Daniel Jones aid cameos, going 0-4 as a starter and finishing 54% of his passes at 4.7 yards per throw. The previous Bucs third-round choose additionally misplaced his 5 2020 begins, serving to the Jaguars safe Trevor Lawrence draft actual property. The 6-foot-7 veteran has been with 5 groups — the Bears, Cardinals, Raiders, Jags and Giants — since his rookie contract expired.
Garoppolo solely resumed throwing just lately, however he got here in to alleviate Lance in Week 2. Lance’s season-ending ankle break places Garoppolo’s well being historical past again beneath the microscope. The sixth-year 49er missed 13 begins in 2018, 10 in 2020 and two final season. Calf, thumb and shoulder accidents impacted Garoppolo final 12 months, main to 2 2022 surgical procedures. Lance now not being current as a backup possibility, as was the case in 2021, raises the stakes concerned with this 49ers seek for a veteran arm.