Who is the 49ers backup quarterback? Exploring QB depth after Brock Purdy's injury

The San Francisco 49ers will be without Brock Purdy for their Week 12 game against the Green Bay Packers. The Pro Bowler is dealing with a shoulder injury and hasn't been able to recover in time to feature against the Packers. Before his injury, Purdy had amassed a stat line of 2,613 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and eight picks in 10 games.

Due to Purdy's injury, the San Francisco 49ers will have to start another quarterback for the first time this season. Let's take a look at the QB set to replace the former "Mr. Irrelevant."

Who is the San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback?

Brandon Allen is the San Francisco 49ers' backup quarterback in the 2024 season. The journeyman veteran will start against the Green Bay Packers in Week 12 and likely until Purdy is cleared to return to the field.

Allen appeared on the active rosters of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals before he joined the Niners in 2024. He has compiled a career stat line of 1,611 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in 16 games.

The Arkansas Razorbacks product is set to start his first game since 2021 and is said to relish the opportunity with the beaten Super Bowl finalists.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the game, Allen said:

"It is definitely an opportunity for me to go out and play well and put our team in a good position to win the match. And obviously, we want Brock back and healthy, but for the time being, it is a great opportunity for me.”

This will be Allen's 10th start in his professional football career. He has hardly featured since 2021 and will now be tasked with leading the 49ers to a win over an in-form Green Bay Packers.

Josh Dobbs is the next quarterback on the depth chart, and he'll be tasked with backing up Allen for the game. Dobbs went viral last season for his heroic performances in the early days of his Minnesota Vikings career. He has since settled into the role of backup QB, and he'll be ready to step up if needed against the Packers.

San Francisco will need to improve its form if it wants to make another run to the Super Bowl. It enters Week 12 with a 5-5 record and is currently in one of the most competitive divisions in the NFC. It might be without its star quarterback, but at least George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey are good to go.