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There is little certainty in Santa Clara this offseason. With a massive drop in the salary cap en route and questions about how many of the 40-plus free agents the 49ers can afford to re-sign, there is not much set in stone.
And for as much as the questions around the quarterback position have revolved around Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers do not (at least officially) have a backup quarterback locked in. Nick Mullens, C.J. Beathard and Josh Rosen are all expiring deals, with Mullens recovering from elbow surgery, but expected to be healthy for training camp.
Per Mike Garafolo, and subsequently announced by the 49ers, the first (and perhaps only) one of that group to return is Rosen, an exclusive rights free agent.
Another QB note to add here: The #49ers are bringing back QB Josh Rosen, source says. Rosen, who spent most of this season on the #Buccaneers’ practice squad, was an exclusive rights free agent, so it was up to the team to tender him an offer. They’ll officially do that soon.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 7, 2021
Exclusive rights free agency is a misnomer. It’s not free agency. Players can accept the offer or choose to sit out the season. What that means is that instead of being a restricted free agent, where a tender would have cost more than $2.2 million, he’ll sign on a minimum deal.