Quarterback C.J. Beathard
Rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard isn’t looking entirely like a project signal-caller and has come on late in training camp, even putting himself in the discussion for the 49ers’ No. 2 quarterbacking spot, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan (h/t Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News).
Granted, Beathard’s NFL debut was far from perfect.
On two occasions, Beathard looked indecisive and held onto the ball for too long, resulting in sacks.
But on this 46-yard touchdown play, Beathard does an excellent job feeling the pressure and steps up in the pocket to avoid the rush, taking a hit but delivering an underthrown-but-effective pass to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne:
.@49ers rookie QB C.J. Beathard tosses a 46-yard TD and this game is tied!#SFvsKC https://t.co/vQPEFvSyG8
— NFL (@NFL) August 12, 2017
“It’s like peripheral stuff,” Beathard said of the play, via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. “You can feel it around you when the pocket is closing in around you and you have to move a little bit. It’s something that all quarterbacks have to deal with and figure out as they get older.”
Beathard finished the contest 7-of-11 for 101 yards and two touchdowns.
There’s a long way to go to overtake Matt Barkley for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, but this initial impression is good enough.