Kirk Cousins trade off the table? 49ers to sign former Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer

San Francisco currently has zero quarterbacks on its roster

After going one week without a quarterback on their roster, it looks like the 49ers have finally decided to add one. 

CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora has reported that the San Francisco has reached a deal with free agent quarterback Brian Hoyer. According to NFL.com, Hoyer is expected to sign a two-year contract with the 49ers. The deal won’t become official until the NFL’s free agency period begins at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. 

Hoyer spent the 2016 season in Chicago, where he started five games (1-4) with the Bears. 

The addition of Hoyer means that the new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan will be heading into the 2017 season with a quarterback he’s familiar with. Shanahan served as the Browns’ offensive coordintaor in 2014 when Hoyer started a total of 13 games.

The two actually had a solid run together, with Hoyer going 7-6 in his 13 starts. Hoyer wasn’t great, but he was serviceable, which is exactly what the 49ers need right now, especially when you consider the fact that Hoyer will be the only quarterback on the team’s roster when he officially signs his deal on Thursday. 

Going into March, Colin Kaepernick was the only quarterback the 49ers had under contract, but he opted out of his deal last week. 

The addition of Hoyer also gives the 49ers some security in case they can’t work out a trade for Kirk Cousins. Although Cousins has reportedly said he would only accept a trade to San Francisco, that doesn’t mean a trade will go down because the Redskins’ asking price could end up being too high. 

If the 49ers move forward with Hoyer, they’ll be rolling with a quarterback who has a 16-15 record in 31 career starts. Besides his 7-6 record in 2014, Hoyer also went 3-0 as a Browns starter in 2013. 

Of course, moving forward with Hoyer as the starter doesn’t seem to be the plan right now. According to NFL Network, Shanahan views Hoyer as a ‘backup type QB,’ which means a Cousins trade is still absolutely possible. 

The 49ers are expected to have nearly $100 million in salary cap space when free agency begins on Thursday, and clearly, they’re not afraid to use it. Besides Hoyer, the 49ers also agreed to a deal with Pierre Garcon that’s expected to pay the former Redskins receiver $16 million in Year 1. 

According to NFL.com, the team is also expected to add former Bills receiver Marquise Goodwin. Basically, it seems like Shanahan is trying to put together Falcons West by adding speedy receivers so he can open up his offense. La Canfora has reported that the team will continue to look at receivers and will likely also look to add a fullback.