San Francisco 49ers: Nick Mullens shuts out C.J. Beathard

Following Jimmy Garoppolo’s ACL injury, the San Francisco 49ers went through a rough transition with backup quarterback C.J. Beathard taking over the reins. As Beathard continued to try but fail, rookie Nick Mullens was given a shot to showcase his talent. And, boy, has he done that.

When San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo went down in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Niners’ season took a huge hit. Pegged as the future of the franchise, it was devastating to see Garoppolo sidelined for the remainder of the year.

With Garoppolo out, in came quarterback C.J. Beathard to lead the 49ers offense. Beathard was thrown into the starting role in 2017 after the failure of then-quarterback Brian Hoyer. Beathard went on to start five games with a 1-4 record prior to Garoppolo taking over to finish the season off.

While Beathard gained valuable experience during his time in the starting role, it would be somewhat foolish to think he would much different when he was again thrust onto the field this season to replace the injured Garoppolo.

Beathard, to his credit, has shown both toughness and resilience, taking 37 sacks from his combined 10 starts from the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Both head coach Kyle Shanahan and his teammates had often remarked at his ability to take a big hit and get back up, ready to go again.

But the mere ability to take a hit simply won’t cut it as a starting quarterback in the NFL. With more and more teams placing and emphasis on the passing game over the run, they need a quarterback who is capable of performing under pressure and making those throws.

Beathard has shown his ability to make plays on occasion and has enough arm strength to achieve the deep ball. There are, however, far too many inconsistencies for him to be considered a long-term starter for any team. He simply holds the ball for too long under pressure instead of throwing it away, resulting in those many sacks in which he has chalked up.

He struggles with accuracy on both his short and long passing game, quite often taking far too long to process his options and read the defense. While Beathard is capable of filling in at quarterback for short periods of time, long term, he is simply not a great option.

Shanahan decided to change things up at quarterback in Week 9, with Nick Mullens given his first opportunity to start in a regular season NFL game against the Oakland Raiders. He impressed with the snaps he received earlier this year during preseason and has continued to show his ability behind centre since replacing Beathard.

Mullens, simply put, is a better option at quarterback than Beathard, with the evidence behind him to prove it. He releases the ball far quicker and if the play is not there, he wastes no time in throwing the ball away rather than risking an ill-advised throw or taking the sack.

With the 49ers having injuries at running back and wide receiver for much of the season, Mullens has continued to perform and produce good numbers, even with his limited options. He has shown great presence in the pocket and the ability to cope and perform under pressure.

Shanahan was asked during his Monday press conference after the team’s 26-23 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks if he intended to give Beathard any more game time for the remaining two games or continue to start with Mullens due to his efficiency.

The answer was an easy one:

Kyle Shanahan Media Availability

Kyle Shanahan provides injury updates and final review of the Week 15 win.

Posted by San Francisco 49ers on Monday, December 17, 2018

“Nick deserves to be in. Nick’s played very well and he’s gotten better as he’s gone,” Shanahan responded. “I thought yesterday was probably Nick’s best game, especially the way he finished it in that fourth quarter. We didn’t complete a lot of balls, but just him getting rid of the ball on some really tough protection situations and being able to get that one to Dante at the end which was very tough to get off. We’d love to get C.J. more playing time, but Nick’s earned it and I’m not taking him out.”

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Beathard will finish the season with an 0-5 record, eight touchdowns and 1,252 yards. He has a completion rate of 60.4 percent and a passer rating of 81.8.

From his six starts so far, Mullens has an 3-3 record with 10 touchdowns and 1,754 yards. He has a completion rate of 64.5 percent and a passer rating of 96.0.

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With Mullens displaying his competency at quarterback, there is a very real possibility some teams will come knocking on the 49ers’ door this offseason interested in trading for the young QB. While gaining draft capital is always a good thing, the Mullens will need to seriously consider whether they are willing to part ways with Mullens this early on and risk their chances with Beathard.

Shanahan briefly touched on the possibility of trading Mullens, however, he did put a strong emphasis on the importance of having a strong backup.

“I mean, you’re open to anything possible that improves your team,” Shanahan said. “That’s not just backups. Anything you have an obligation to do whatever you think is right to give your organization the best chance to win. I think backups are extremely valuable, not just at the quarterback position, but everywhere. Usually you have to win with backups and you hope to stay healthy all of the time, but very rarely does that happen. Backups can be the difference in a season.”

Shanahan eluded to the fact that Garoppolo may be ready in time for OTAs in June next year, albeit in a restricted capacity. With that in mind, the 49ers will have to run with their backups in Mullens and Beathard until Garoppolo returns to full strength.

Which backup it is, though will all depend on any offseason developments. If no teams attempt a trade for Mullens, or the 49ers decide to hang onto him, he is the easy choice as Garoppolo’s No. 2.

He has Shanahan’s confidence and the playing ability to succeed in this league. If Mullens does find himself suiting up for another team, I guess we’ll be sticking it out with Beathard.