All 49ers

49ers QB Tanner Mordecai Impresses Kyle Shanahan in Preseason Debut

Sounds like Mordecai could get even more playing time this Saturday in the 49ers' preseason finale against the Raiders.

Grant Cohn

May 10, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Tanner Mordecai (4) runs drills during the 49ers rookie minicamp at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Mandatory Credit: Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports
May 10, 2024; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Tanner Mordecai (4) runs drills during the 49ers rookie minicamp at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Mandatory Credit: Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Kupbens-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

SANTA CLARA -- Did the 49ers just find another overlooked gem at quarterback?

Two years ago, they drafted Brock Purdy with the final pick, and he turned into their starting quarterback and an MVP candidate. This year, they signed Tanner Mordecai as an undrafted free agent rookie. And so far, he looks promising.

Mordecai played in the fourth quarter of the 49ers' 16-10 preseason win over the New Orleans Saints, and he completed 4 of 6 passes for 44 yards. Keep in mind, this was his first career preseason game. In Purdy's first preseason game two years ago, he completed 3 of 6 passes for 36 yards.

“I thought he did a good job," Kyle Shanahan said about Mordecai. "He got a couple chances with some throws. He ran the huddle very well. He got us in and out. I think he took us on that drive to get a field goal there at the end. Wish he would have gotten a little bit more, but did good with what we gave him.”

Sounds like Mordecai could get even more playing time this Saturday in the 49ers' preseason finale against the Raiders.

Mordecai is intriguing because he's similar to Purdy. Both quarterbacks came into the league with a ton of playing experience in college. So when Purdy got his opportunity to play as a rookie with the 49ers' All Star supporting cast, he knew what to do with it.

Mordecai may not be the next Purdy, but he could become an excellent backup for the 49ers.

Published
Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

Home/News