Weinke started 19 games for Carolina, but the Panthers didn't re-sign the Charlotte resident even while struggling through their own quarterback injury problems this season. He also had tryouts at Minnesota and Buffalo, but was resigned to spending the year out of football.
Then McCloughan made the 49ers' desperate call while Weinke was in New York with his wife to attend Saturday's Heisman Trophy ceremony.
"I don't think I'm finished, but I had to wait for the opportunity," said Weinke, whose baseball cap said "Old Guys Rule."
"It's always nice to be back in the locker room and among the guys. ... It's a perfect chance for me to get my name out there."
Hill, a career third-stringer who had never thrown an NFL pass in six seasons before last Sunday, will start against the Bengals. Drew Olson, who joined the 49ers' practice squad three weeks ago, is the only other quarterback on the roster.
If both Hill and Weinke were unable to play - not an impossibility, given the 49ers' recent history - San Francisco would turn to receiver Arnaz Battle or running back Michael Robinson, who both played quarterback in college.
Notes: Backup CB Marcus Hudson also is out for Saturday with a knee injury. Battle (ankle), DT Isaac Sopoaga (back), CB Shawntae Spencer (quad) and LB Jeff Ulbrich (ankle) also sat out of Wednesday's practice with injuries, while RB Frank Gore (ankle) was limited. ... LB Patrick Willis has a fan in Cincinnati's Chad Johnson. The colorful receiver unleashed an expletive-filled batch of admiration for the 49ers rookie, who has become the NFL's leading tackler. "You tell him, 85 said you're the truth," Johnson told Bay Area reporters Wednesday in a conference call from Ohio. "I stopped watching the defensive backs (on film) to watch him."
Michiganfan725 
