National Football League

San Francisco 49ers: Why Having a Franchise Quarterback Is Essential in the NFL

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:44 p.m. ET

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The San Francisco 49ers will be looking for a franchise quarterback this offseason. And while some teams have gotten away with mediocre QB play at times, no team will have continued success without a long-term signal-caller. Let’s look at why.

Sep 8, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; ESPN analyst Steve Young prior to the game between the Detroit Lions and New York Giants at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Chances are the San Francisco 49ers are going to be looking for their next franchise quarterback this offseason.

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Whether it be through the NFL Draft, a trade or maybe even free agency, it’s clear the Niners aren’t going to have an offense to build around unless there is a quality guy under center.

Hall of Famer Steve Young appeared on KNBR 680’s Tolbert and Lund Show Wednesday afternoon and brought up a good point — NFL teams can’t have continued success without a franchise quarterback.

Teams may sniff a Super Bowl championship once in a while. And Young pointed out the most recent example, the Denver Broncos.

Yet the continuity just isn’t there. It’s nothing more than a flash.

But the good teams stay good largely due to one primary reason — the quarterback.

So let’s dive into this a bit more and try to understand just how important this position is.

And it’s as relevant a point as ever, especially considering where the 49ers are right now and where they want to be in the not-so-distant future.

Starting with those teams who won championships but didn’t have a franchise QB under center.

Jan 29, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis is interviewed during media day in preparation for Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl Teams Without a Franchise Quarterback

Yes, there are a few NFL teams who have managed to pull off a Super Bowl victory without having a franchise guy under center.

Most recently, we saw this with the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. And while future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning was once elite, he was nowhere near that same level in 2015. No, the Broncos won in spite of Manning, not because of him.

That defense took a hit — losses via free agency, etc. — last offseason. They were still good. Just not great. And considering the tough AFC West, Denver’s defense simply wasn’t good enough to get to the postseason, let alone repeat as Super Bowl champs.

But let’s look at some other examples.

2000 Baltimore Ravens

Perhaps the greatest example of a Super Bowl-winning team without a franchise-type quarterback was the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.

Yes, they won football’s greatest game that year. And they did it with none other than a combination of QBs Tony Banks and Trent Dilfer.

Yeah, not exactly an awe-inspiring tandem.

But heck, the Ravens defense was No. 1 in the league. Quarterback play didn’t have to be good. Neither one of those guys were long-term options.

And yet the Ravens’ ascent was as short-lived as any. The team went 10-6 the following year before falling flat in 2002. In 2003, things did get a bit better. But Baltimore’s defense was nothing close to what it had been in 2000.

2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Another great example is the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a team led under center by the “great” Brad Johnson.

Oct 4, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneer former player Warren Sapp in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Just like the Ravens, Tampa Bay’s defense that year ranked No. 1 in the NFL. The Bucs didn’t need elite quarterback play at all. No, they rode that defense all the way to the Super Bowl and an easy 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

Johnson wasn’t the answer though. Tampa Bay finished 7-9 the following year and watched its defense go from elite to really good. And it was just OK two seasons removed from the Super Bowl crown.

2006 Chicago Bears

While not winning the Super Bowl that year, the Chicago Bears of 2006 are another perfect example.

Yes, this was a team predicated on defense. And the almighty Rex Grossman under center.

You guessed it, the Bears defense that year was awfully good — third best in the league. And this is what propelled Chicago to a 13-3 record. Not Grossman.

So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise why the Bears finished 7-9 the following year, desperately hoping a guy like Grossman could turn into something franchise-like.

Hint: he didn’t.

Sep 1, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) before game against New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Teams with Franchise Quarterbacks and Elongated Success

Just having a franchise-type quarterback isn’t going to guarantee Super Bowl rings each and every season. But those teams are going to have a much better chance at securing a championship each and every year.

Take quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers for example. Remember how bad things were in Green Bay the beginning of this season? Do you remember the defensive woes and apparent infighting?

Well, Rodgers and the Packers would have to win out to get into the playoffs. They did. And Rodgers was as stellar as ever.

Granted, quarterbacks like Rodgers don’t come around too often. But there are more than just a handful of examples where a franchise QB can ensure continued success for a decade or more.

Seattle Seahawks

Perhaps the greatest frustration among 49ers fans is how Russell Wilson beat out Colin Kaepernick in determining the next great quarterback of this decade. Kap started off strong, yes, but began to falter when the team fell apart all around him.

Nov 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) meets with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) after the game at Levi’s Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 19-3. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

True, the Seahawks haven’t fallen apart. They still have a top-tier defense and offensive weapons.

But a comparison here could focus on both teams’ offensive lines. Kaepernick’s decline seemingly paralleled the demise of the once-mighty 49ers O-line. Seattle’s is no better right now. And yet Wilson isn’t having much trouble, aside from taking a good deal of sacks.

The 49ers are at the bottom of the NFL. Meanwhile, Seattle is a perennial contender.

New England Patriots

Well, duh. The New England Patriots have Tom Brady under center. What else would a team need?

New England is in contention every year primarily due to Brady. Head coach Bill Belichick gets a lot of credit too. But shift any of the pieces around — on offense or defense — and the Pats are always going to be contenders until, well, they’re not.

The Patriots have missed the playoffs just once since 2002 before Brady took over. And that year, New England went 11-5 — a tough break more than anything else.

Pittsburgh Steelers

A more realistic example is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While not necessarily on the same tier as either Rodgers or Brady, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is still a franchise quarterback who has seen his team ride his efforts to the postseason eight times in 13 years since Big Ben became the established starter.

And they can claim two Super Bowl victories in that stretch too.

Unlike the teams on the previous slide, each of these examples are reasons why continued success is largely reliant on having a franchise guy under center.

None of them are the proverbial “flash in the pans.”

Dec 18, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) throws the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The 49ers and an Uncertain Future

One could argue the 49ers had some continued success under former head coach Jim Harbaugh and the combination of both quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Alex Smith.

But that was three years… no more.

In terms of being continually good, the Niners really haven’t had that kind of repetitive success since the days of quarterback Steve Young. Yes, former 49ers QB Jeff Garcia had some moments.

Again though, we’re talking continuous.