San Francisco 49ers: Full position grades for the 2018 season
By Peter Panacy
C. . . . QUARTERBACK
Where to start? There should be three grades for 49ers quarterbacks this season — one for Jimmy Garoppolo, another for C.J. Beathard and a final grade for Nick Mullens.
OK, here you go:
- Jimmy Garoppolo — A-plus (because Garoppolo)
- C.J. Beathard — D-minus
- Nick Mullens — B
Granted, Garoppolo didn’t look quite as sharp in his three starts. But that was a tough stretch of schedule for San Francisco, with two road games against the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs.
That said, the real story is between Beathard and Mullens. Beathard’s 81.8 passer rating, which would have ranked 29th among all qualifiers this year, tells you a lot. He still showcased the hesitancy and decision-making woes in the pocket and under pressure. And after 10 career starts now, it’s hard to wonder if those traits will improve much moving forward despite how tough he has been.
It’s a prime reason, too, why Kyle Shanahan never switched back to Beathard from Mullens who, despite some up-and-down moments, still finished with a 90.8 passer rating on the year and looked far more competent and comfortable within the pocket.
The Niners probably won’t keep three active quarterbacks on their 53-man roster in 2019, meaning there’s a crucial decision to be had this offseason between Beathard and Mullens.
Still, Garoppolo can’t come back soon enough.