SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- In the latest sign that the San Francisco 49ers are not comfortable with their backup behind starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the team released John Skelton and claimed former Minnesota Vikings quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson on Wednesday.
The 49ers were reportedly interested in signing former Tampa Bay starter Josh Freeman last week.
However, Freeman ended up signing with the Vikings because he had a path to a starting job. Still, the Freeman signing did affect the 49ers' quarterback room.
A day after the Vikings cut Bethel-Thompson to make room for Freeman, the 49ers claimed him. Skelton, who was in the 49ers' locker room at lunchtime Wednesday, was signed last week.
Since late in the preseason, the 49ers have signed and cut Seneca Wallace and Skelton, and they cut rookie B.J. Daniels to make room for Skelton. Daniels, a seventh-round pick, was claimed by NFC West rival Seattle.
Skelton was brought in to see if he could push Colt McCoy as the No. 2 quarterback. This move is, at least for now, a good sign for McCoy. But it is clear all the recent movement means the 49ers' No. 2 and No. 3 quarterback situations are fluid for the rest of the season.
The 49ers know Bethel-Thompson well -- he was in the team's camp in 2011. He is a big, strong-armed quarterback that San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh covets. But then again, so was Skelton.
The move to pick up Bethel-Thompson also signals the 49ers have no interest in Matt Flynn, who was cut by the Oakland Raiders earlier this week.
