Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard was without a home for the entire offseason but was sneakily picked up by the Detroit Lions and added to their practice squad where he will be the team's third-string quarterback.
Fans will remember Beathard from his days with the Niners. He was selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft and made some starts for San Francisco over the course of the next few seasons. He had some decent games, but it became clear the 49ers reached a bit on selecting him so early as he always had the talent of a backup rather than a starter.
Still, it has been interesting to track the trajectory of his career ever since he left the Bay Area. He has spent time as a backup with the Jacksonville Jaguars and was on the practice squad of the Miami Dolphins for a time.
He last saw playing time in 2023 with the Jags when he completed 40 of 53 passes for 349 passing yards and one touchdown pass with no interceptions. He has done enough in his career to warrant a team like the Detroit Lions taking a chance on him.
A reunion between Beathard and the 49ers seemed like a distinct possibility during the preseason when it became clear just how inadequate Tanner Mordecai and Carter Bradley were as backup options, which led to them both being cut.
The University of Iowa product knows San Francisco's offense and even trained with Brock Purdy and George Kittle in the offseason so it seemed like he could be a convenient option to add to the team, but the Niners ended up signing Adrian Martinez instead.
Unfortunately, who the third quarterback option is has now become somewhat important given the recent injury news surrounding Purdy, which has left his status for Week 2 in doubt. One hopes that Purdy will be fine, but Mac Jones may have to start, which could mean Martinez will be the backup.
Beathard will almost certainly not get any playing time this year, but who knows? With how bad the injury bug is already biting San Francisco, he may end up rejoining his old team at some point this year if guys keep dropping like flies.