Bodog Beat

Will Shaun Hill return as the starter in 2009? That's just one of the question hovering above the Niners. (AP Images)

Coach Mike Singletary might wait until Thursday before deciding on a starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers' exhibition opener against the 3-point underdog Denver Broncos.

Both Shaun Hill and Alex Smith have been fairly even through the first 10 days of training camp, and both should get plenty of chances against the Broncos on Friday night.

Singletary plans to keep the competition and evaluation process going through the third preseason game Aug. 29 at Dallas, naming a starter soon after that game.

The Broncos experienced quite the offseason, as they’ve seen their longtime coach Mike Shanahan get fired and their starting QB Jay Cutler get traded to the Chicago Bears for Kyle Orton.

Expect a lot of action for the running backs outside of Frank Gore. Gore is not expected to play much in the first game. That means running backs Glen Coffee, Kory Sheets, and Thomas Clayton should get a lot of looks at running back.

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