49ers undrafted rookie quarterback Broc Rutter got a modest surprise from his new team – a $279 signing bonus awarded to him after the club realized it had an extra $279 in it’s undrafted free agent money pool. That may not be the last surprise in store for Rutter on his NFL journey.
The four-year starter at Division-III North Central College told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch that he hasn’t decided exactly what to do with his money yet.
“I’ll probably buy my family a nice meal, or maybe get some golf clubs,” Rutter The Chronicle. “Something like that. Actually, that probably won’t buy a new set of golf clubs.”
A cheap set of clubs on Amazon goes for $220. He can get a used set for even less.
Where he spends that $279 could wind up being a small chapter in a much larger story though. Rutter told Branch he’s just excited about the opportunity to suit up in the NFL, but his career could be on a trajectory to be more notable than his tiny signing bonus.
It’s worth noting 49ers backup quarterback Nick Mullens began his career in San Francisco as an undrafted rookie in 2017. He spent his first year and part of his second year on the practice squad, but Jimmy Garoppolo’s ACL tear in Week 3 of the 2018 season elevated Mullens to the active roster. He wound up starting the final eight games that season and went on to win the QB2 job in 2019.
That’s not to say Rutter is automatically on that trajectory, but it’s worth noting the 49ers’ quarterback depth chart isn’t even set beyond the 2020 season. CJ Beathard, a third-round pick in 2017, was the inactive third quarterback for all of last season. He’s entering the final year of his rookie deal. Mullens is also on a one-year exclusive rights tender.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s contract has also raised some questions about his future, but that conversation can be tabled for now.
Rutter is likely to wind up on the practice squad as a rookie. The truncated offseason will make it difficult for any undrafted rookie, much less a quarterback, to make a strong enough impression to land a roster spot.
The road doesn’t end there though. Mullens’ rise gives a player like Rutter, who threw for 86 touchdowns and just eight interceptions over his final two college seasons, hope beyond his first year. If does follow that trajectory and eventually pushes for a legitimate role on the 53-man roster, his next contract should earn him a signing bonus worthy of a nice dinner for his family and the nicest golf clubs he can find.
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