Shaun Hill, who has made a career out of being an underdog, gets a chance to be the favorite on Friday night.

Coach Mike Singletary announced Thursday that Hill would open as the No. 1 quarterback when the 49ers face the Denver Broncos in the preseason opener at Candlestick Park.
Singletary said how long Hill plays will depend on “the flow of the game,” but he expected Alex Smith to get some time with the starting unit as well.
The announcement by no means closes the door on the 49ers quarterback competition. Singletary has indicated that he might wait as long as three exhibition games before settling on his regular-season starter. He could start Smith next week against the Raiders, then use Aug. 29 against the Cowboys as the tiebreaker if necessary.
“I don’t care about today. What I care about is at the end of it,” Singletary said. “In terms of who is ahead, who is not, it really doesn’t matter right now for us.”
By getting first crack, however, Hill has a chance to tighten his grip as the incumbent quarterback. He went 5-3 as a starter as the 49ers showed a late spark in an otherwise forgettable season.
Hill saw no need to celebrate Thursday’s announcement.
“I agree that there’s no reason to read into this in any way,” he said. “Obviously, starting the first preseason game isn’t the final goal. It’s to start every regular-season game and go from there. I’m just excited for the opportunity to get out there and play again.”
To win the job in camp, Hill must silence the skeptics who wonder whether he has the arm strength to get the 49ers back among the league’s elite. The undrafted free agent out of Maryland is trying to fend off Smith, the bigger-armed former No. 1 overall pick.
Hill said he has faced those doubts all his life.
“I can’t go out there and force something downfield just for the sake of proving to people that I can throw the deep ball,” he said. “So, I’m very focused on playing within myself. I feel like I’ve proven when I do that, what I have is sufficient.”
In practice this summer, Hill and Smith have performed fairly evenly. Hill looks better than expected when it comes to connecting on deep throws; Smith looks healthy again after two shoulder operations.
Like Hill, Smith has played down the significance of the preseason opener. He jokingly reminded reporters this week that, “I’m not going out there trying to win the Super Bowl” on Friday night.
“I’m not trying go out there and prove anything right now with my arm,” Smith said. “I’m trying to do the little things.”
While the quarterbacks take center stage, some other notables will have the night off. Running back Frank Gore, though perfectly healthy, will sit out and leave starting duties to rookie Glen Coffee.
Similarly, leading receiver Isaac Bruce will watch from the sidelines. The 49ers see no need to expose Gore or Bruce to injury, especially with each looking crisp in camp. Singletary said he expected both to play a little later in the preseason.
Linebacker Patrick Willis, nursing a sore ankle, won’t play against Denver. The two-time Pro Bowler is feeling better and tried to persuade Singletary to let him take the field. “No, it’s not happening,” Singletary said.
Among the others sitting out will be fullback Michael Robinson (groin), guard David Baas (foot) and tight end Delanie Walker (concussion).
—Adam Snyder has a sizable lead on Marvel Smith in the competition for the right tackle job, but Singletary wasn’t ready to declare it over. He did praise Snyder for delivering on his promise to improve during the offseason. “He’s doing what he said he was going to do,” Singletary said.