Why the 49ers Haven't Had a Franchise Quarterback in 20 Years
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The 49ers current ownership group -- the Yorks -- like to pretend they inherited a lemonade stand and transformed it into a Fortune 500 company.
Obviously, the 49ers were much more than a mere lemonade stand when the Yorks took over in 2000. They inherited an iconic franchise and five championships from Eddie DeBartolo Jr. They also inherited a franchise quarterback -- Jeff Garcia -- as well as the vice president who acquired Garcia -- Bill Walsh.
But after 2000, Walsh stepped down as vice president. And after 2003, the 49ers released Garcia, who had gone to three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2000 to 2002. Apparently, he wasn't good enough for the Yorks.
Here is the complete list of starting quarterbacks the Yorks have acquired since they released the one franchise QB Walsh left them:
- Tim Rattay
- Ken Dorsey
- Alex Smith
- Cody Pickett
- Trent Dilfer
- Shaun Hill
- Chris Weinke
- J.T. O'Sullivan
- Troy Smith
- Colin Kaepernick
- Blaine Gabbert
- Brian Hoyer
- C.J. Beathard
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Nick Mullens
- Trey Lance
- Brock Purdy
What do these quarterbacks have in common? None of them ever went to a Pro Bowl with the 49ers. That's a fact. And that's pathetic. Even the Browns have had a Pro Bowl quarterback in that time span.
The Yorks have done some excellent things with the 49ers. They have acquired elite running backs, elite wide receivers, elite tight ends, elite offensive tackles, elite defensive linemen and elite linebackers. They even built a new stadium, which definitely isn't elite, but the previous owner couldn't build one.
Still, the NFL is a quarterback-driven league. All those other things are nice, but the quarterback IS the franchise. Once you have an elite quarterback, you always have a legitimate chance to win a Super Bowl -- the 49ers proved that for 20 years.
The ole lemonade stand had franchise quarterbacks in place for two decades. The new fortune 500 company has a cheap quarterback room full of youngsters and retreads. It's possible one of them will emerge as a Pro Bowler eventually. But until then, it seems clear the 49ers have no eye for the most important position on the team.
