3 burning questions for 49ers quarterbacks in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: What’s C.J. Beathard’s Fate with 49ers?
A 1-9 career record is pretty much all one needs to know about C.J. Beathard’s life at the pro level. And if quarterback wins aren’t your stat (that’s OK), his career 57.3 completion percentage and 74.6 passer rating were among the league lows for qualifiers between 2017 and 2018.
Kyle Shanahan’s commitment to Beathard is a bit baffling. The 49ers paid the former third-round NFL Draft pick just under $1 million to be a third stringer in 2019, and he’ll be due $1.12 million this season.
Again, a lot for a No. 3 player on the depth chart here.
Beathard has almost zero trade value, if any, so the idea of San Francisco moving him for draft compensation is essentially out of the question. Instead, the question is whether or not Beathard can improve his stock at all during training camp, going along with the question whether or not Beathard can beat out Nick Mullens or even Broc Rutter for roster placement.
Shanahan could still keep three quarterbacks on his 53-man roster this year, and Beathard is likely the favorite to be No. 3 if this is the case.
Considering he’s entering a contract year, though, the reality is Beathard is essentially playing for his NFL career this season, and any failed improvements could ultimately mean he’s out of the league by 2021.
If not sooner.