San Francisco 49ers: 2019 ‘State of the Franchise’ (quarterbacks)
Niner Noise looks at all the positions and the state they’re in as the San Francisco 49ers get closer to training camp. To start off this series, we look at the quarterback position which has been in a state of flux due to injuries.
It’s no big secret when head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch came to the San Francisco 49ers, the roster was in a state that required some serious overhauling.
In this “State of the Franchise” series, we look at the current state of the 2019 roster as the 49ers get closer to training camp, position by position. Which players are locks for the roster and who has an uphill battle?
We won’t be doing full player profiles, for those we recommend taking a look at the “Who Is?” series by Niner Noise.
To start let’s look at the most important position on the roster, the quarterbacks.
2019 State of the Franchise: Quarterbacks:
Jimmy Garoppolo
Jimmy Garoppolo is firmly entrenched as the 49ers franchise quarterback, and looks set to resume full duties when training camp begins after only partially undertaking offseason practice sessions after his torn ACL last year.
Garoppolo took a snap during 11-on-11 drill during the minicamp ahead of schedule, and early reports of his progress on the field have been positive.
Garoppolo will enter the season as the undisputed No. 1 quarterback and with a clean bill of health.
Nick Mullens
Nick Mullens was one of the surprise packets of last season, as he went from practice squad quarterback to serviceable starter.
While most fans would assume this would make his the obvious backup, all it’s done for Mullens is put him in a camp battle for the right to become the official backup.
Mullens might be the public favorite due to his performance last season, but the truth is this season is a clean slate.
C.J. Beathard
C.J. Beathard finds himself on the roster bubble, despite being the only quarterback drafted by the team in the Lynch-Shanahan era. The trade for Garoppolo, combined with Mullens performing well above expectations, has left Beathard in a difficult situation.
Beathard will be in a camp battle with Mullens to be the No. 2 quarterback, and it’s a battle he has to win because Shanahan prefers to keep only two on the roster.
Wilton Speight
Wilton Speight is the forgotten fourth quarterback on the roster, an undrafted rookie out of UCLA.
Seeing him on the roster for Week 1 would be a miracle of biblical proportions, given the people above him on the depth chart. He would need to have some injuries happen, as well as perform well enough to convince the 49ers not to sign somebody else.
Realistically, the best he could hope for is to see Beathard or Mullens traded and play well enough to get onto the practice squad.
Prediction
It’s not especially exciting to repeat like everybody else, but Garoppolo is a lock to be on the roster provided no injuries occur.
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On the opposite end of the spectrum, Speight would need a miracle to happen to find himself on the roster.
The only real question mark is the battle of the backups with Beathard and Mullens. I think Mullens will win the battle, and Beathard may find himself on the trade blocks for a late-round NFL Draft pick selection.