J.T. O'Sullivan Named San Francisco 49ers' Starting Quarterback

At long last head coach Mike Nolan along with offensive coordinator Mike Martz have tabbed their starting quarterback, making the decision observers thought they’d make by selecting J.T. O’Sullivan. With O’Sullivan named the starter and Alex Smith his high-priced backup, the speculation has begun about what the move means for the future of Smith and the 49ers’ quarterback position.

Though Nolan maintained the competition for the quarterback spot would be open; the issue had a transparent feel, especially after O’Sullivan started his third straight preseason game against Chicago last Thursday. Smith barely played with the first team, while the 49ers’ third quarterback, Shaun Hill, was relegated to mop-up duty. Even with all this evidence, Nolan remained reluctant to name O’Sullivan as the starter and argued all three quarterbacks were in the mix.

Of the three, O’Sullivan played the best, while Smith struggled and Hill had a miserable training camp. O’Sullivan’s rise from a third-string free-agent afterthought to the team’s starting quarterback is quite amazing, especially for a career backup with only six games of regular season action under his belt. Needless to say, if all goes well, O’Sullivan is about to receive a heavy dose of playing time.

From early on in training camp, Martz pegged Smith and Hill as not fit to run his offense, which necessitated the 49ers to sign O’Sullivan. Smith is said to be a cerebral type player, smart, but not instinctive and needs to understand every facet of an offense before feeling comfortable. He’s yet to find his comfort zone in Martz’s offense. Hill on the other hand, played his way into a free-agent contract with his stirring play to end last season, but was never given much of a chance.

Undoubtedly, the 49ers’ quarterback saga will continue because O’Sullivan will falter and Smith will appear in relief this year, which will start another series of questions about who should be the team’s quarterback. But, if O’Sullivan succeeds, Smith might become a salary cap casualty. For now, all we know is O’Sullivan will take the first snaps on Sept. 7 against Arizona.

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Preseason Game Recap

The 49ers racked up over thirty points for the second straight game in a 37-30 victory over the Bears on Aug. 21. O’Sullivan went 7-for-8 for 126 yards and a touchdown. Smith again relieved O’Sullivan and went 6-for-17 for 83 yards, while Hill went 6-for-7 for 60 yards.

Running back Frank Gore received extra work against the Bears. Gore had eight carries for 51 yards. Back up tailback Thomas Clayton led the 49ers in rushing with 18 carries for 81 yards.

For a 49ers team that looked dismal offensively to open the preseason, the last two games have provided hope that scoring points will be easier this season.

Tough Choice at Receiver

Suddenly, the 49ers have a dearth of young receivers after having few options last year. Nolan isn’t sure if he’ll keep five or six receivers, but he’ll certainly have to make a tough decision after the team’s preseason finale on Friday against San Diego. The 49ers’ up-and-coming receivers include Jason Hill, Josh Morgan and Dominique Zeigler as well as youngish Bryant Johnson. Receivers Isaac Bruce, Arnaz Battle and Ashley Lelie will be counted on for veteran leadership, though the often-injured Lelie might be in a battle to keep his spot. Against Chicago, Zeigler had six catches for 61 yards, while Hill caught four balls for 94 yards. Unfortunately, one or two of these receivers won’t make the squad.

More on the QB Battle

Friction exists between Nolan and Smith, mostly stemming from last year over how badly the quarterback had injured his right shoulder. Nolan contended Smith could play, while Smith felt he wasn’t healthy enough. Either way, each lost faith in the other, which brought the 49ers to the point of almost giving up on the league’s top draft pick. Though Smith might have fallen out of favor with Nolan, general manager Scot McCloughan is said to still value him. If Nolan fails this year and is let go, Smith might find his way back into the 49ers’ starting line-up. In dysfunctional 49ers-land, where everyone from the owner to the general manager to the head coach resides on a different page, anything is possible.

By Jim Bucci
ProFootball-fans.com San Francisco 49ers Correspondent