The 49ers were a fourth-down stop away from a championship in February, but they once again came up short of their ultimate goal. While San Francisco's roster remains loaded with talent, will the pain of that defeat weigh on the organization in 2024?
That question is especially pertinent to QB Brock Purdy, who wasn't in the NFL when the 49ers struggled to rebound from their Super Bowl loss four years ago and is still only 24. All indications so far point to impressive mental toughness for Purdy, and it won't hurt having a cast of Pro Bowl weapons to help get back into a rhythm this season.
Just as important for the 49ers is keeping Purdy healthy. San Francisco got a full season out of its quarterback in 2023, and star tackle Trent Williams is back in the fold after a contract dispute threatened his status for the start of the season.
If Purdy is upright, the 49ers should be positioned to contend for another NFC title. Here's a look at who's up next if he goes down.
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49ers QB depth chart
QB1: Brock Purdy
It was only a year ago that there was still some uncertainty surrounding Purdy's status as the 49ers' starter. Were eight starts, including three in the playoffs, enough to cement him as the leader of a championship contender? Kyle Shanahan insisted Purdy was his starter, and the quarterback recovered quickly enough from offseason elbow surgery to ward off any potential challenge from Sam Darnold or Trey Lance.
Purdy gave the 49ers exactly what they were looking for in 2023 and didn't look rattled in the playoffs despite trailing in both the divisional round and NFC championship. While the Super Bowl didn't go San Francisco's way, Purdy enters 2024 with no questions about his status as QB1.
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QB2: Brandon Allen
Allen is 2-7 in nine NFL starts, six of which came with the Bengals, and he latched on with the 49ers as their emergency quarterback in 2023. Many assumed Josh Dobbs would assume the backup role behind Purdy after signing with the 49ers in March, but Allen surprisingly enters the season as the team's No. 2 quarterback.
Shanahan told reporters Allen "had the head start" by being in the organization longer than Dobbs, adding that he believed Allen "did some better things in practice." The eighth-year coach also cited Allen's "similarities to Brock" in terms of play style but called the decision a difficult one.
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QB3: Josh Dobbs
It's possible Dobbs will work his way up to the backup role at some point, but for now, it's a luxury for the 49ers to have him as their emergency quarterback.
The "Passtronaut" ran out of fuel late in 2023 after a serviceable run with the Cardinals turned into a hot start with the Vikings, but with a 62.8 completion rate and 2,464 yards over 12 starts, Dobbs has proven to be a capable backup.
The 49ers gave Dobbs a one-year, $2.35 million contract in March, larger than Allen's $1.5 million deal.
