Hill May Be Locked In as Niners' QB

When asked about San Francisco's quarterback situation on Monday, Niners head coach Mike Singletary responded: "We've got a ways to go. Alex [Smith] and Shaun [Hill] have to continue to compete, not so much against each other but against the best quarterbacks in the league, because that's what it's going to take to win."

I read that as saying that both QBs need to improve between now and the season, but that neither is guaranteed the starting job. Niner insider Kevin Lynch of SFGate.com had a much more definitive take on the declaration.

It's an interesting comment, and may mean that in his mind, the quarterback competition is over and Shaun Hill is his starter. When asked about Alex Smith, Singletary said he thought he was healthy but rusty.

Personally, I'm not really sure how you make that leap from what Singletary said. Still, that said, I wouldn't blame Singletary if that was indeed what he thought. Smith has been nothing short of a total bust since being the No. 1 overall pick out of Utah in 2005.

Hill, meanwhile, somehow slipped behind J.T. O'Sullivan on the 49ers' depth chart last season, but eventually earned a place as the team's top signal-caller.

In Hill's eight 2008 starts, San Francisco posted a 5-3 record -- a mark that really should have been one game better. For the season, Hill threw for more than 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns, against just eight interceptions. They're not Kurt Warner numbers, but they're certainly respectable.

With O'Sullivan (and former offensive coordinator Mike Martz) out of the picture, San Francisco selected Ball State quarterback Nate Davis in April's draft. Even under the best of circumstances, though, Davis is probably a couple years away from starting, leaving San Francisco to choose between Hill, off a solid 2008, and Smith, off a year on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

Whether or not we all pick out a hidden meaning in Singletary's answer, the logic behind believing Hill was start in Week 1 of 2009 is sound. At the moment, he seems to be the best QB option on San Francisco's roster.

h/t: Rotoworld