The then-Washington Football Team signed former Colorado quarterback Steven Montez as an undrafted free agent after the 2020 NFL draft. With Dwayne Haskins, Alex Smith and Kyle Allen on the roster at the time, there was no path to playing time, but Montez hoped to impress enough to earn a spot on the practice squad.
The 6-foot-5 Montez impressed Washington’s coaches in the summer, and the team kept him on the practice squad. With injuries piling up and Washington releasing Haskins late that season, Montez was active for Washington’s final three games.
Around this time, the team signed Taylor Heinicke, and Montez’s trajectory with the team changed. With Alex Smith hurt, Montez was often a snap way from playing, and when Washington won the NFC East, Heinicke started the playoff game and almost pulled off an upset of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The team released Montez in August, and he would spend parts of the next two seasons with the Detroit Lions practice squad. In November, Montez landed with the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons where he attempted just two passes in one game.
Now, it looks like Montez is receiving another chance at the NFL. With the San Francisco 49ers shorthanded at quarterback, they are bringing in Montez for a tryout at this weekend’s rookie minicamp.
The 49ers have three quarterbacks who’ll make the 53-man roster unless one is traded: Brock Purdy, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold. Purdy is the presumed starter if he’s healthy after offseason elbow surgery.
For Montez, this is another opportunity to show he belongs in the NFL.
