49ers had no choice to start Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13 vs. Bears

The San Francisco 49ers have a bit of a dilemma at quarterback entering Week 13, but an injury to C.J. Beathard likely forced the Niners to start Jimmy Garopplo against the Chicago Bears.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had a tough decision on his hands as the Niners prepare for a Week 13 road contest versus the Chicago Bears.

And it’s a decision that might have already been determined for him.

The Niners’ previous starter, C.J. Beathard, suffered both a knee and hip injury late during the team’s 24-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday. He exited the game, giving way to the 49ers’ recent quarterback acquisition, Jimmy Garoppolo.

All Garoppolo did was move the ball forward three times, culminating in a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Louis Murphy as time expired.

This was the moment San Francisco fans had been waiting to see since Garoppolo was acquired. And it certainly forced more discussion whether or not Garoppolo should see an increased role to round out the rest of 2017.

But Beathard’s injuries likely required a quick decision.

Shanahan has remained non-committal in determining a starter for Week 13 and was estimated to make a decision on Wednesday, per NBC Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco:

As it turned out, Tuesday was the day where Garoppolo’s starting status was determined.

But Maiocco also broke down why Beathard’s injuries could have relegated him to a backup role this upcoming week:

"Whomever starts at quarterback – rookie C.J. Beathard or Garoppolo, the newcomer – needs the full week of practice reps with the first-team offense to have his best chance of success on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, Shanahan said. …Beathard’s mobility will certainly be impacted, if he is deemed OK to play. But even when his legs have been healthy, he has not been able to avoid a large number of hits. It seems the only real decision Shanahan has is to anoint Garoppolo as the starter."

There were other reasons too, as Niner Noise broke down earlier. Garoppolo showed the kind of poise under center Beathard has widely lacked this season. Sure, the sample size is small. But Garoppolo is surely the bigger investment — the highly valued commodity the Niners now have.

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What would it mean for Garoppolo if he was benched for a banged-up Beathard?

Getting Garoppolo first-team reps in practice, combined with on-field snaps with a number of the players he’ll work with next year, is vital to his development in Santa Clara.

If anything, Shanahan’s decision has been made easier by Beathard’s injury. There shouldn’t have to be any back and forth here.

Next: 49ers stock report after Week 12 loss to Seahawks

So look for Garoppolo to be the Niners’ starter in Chicago.