C.J. Beathard proved Sunday that if he’s allowed time, he can run the Kyle Shanahan offense. Throughout the first half, Beathard was nearly flawless, completing 13 of 16 passes for 198 yards, two touchdowns and a 157.8 passer rating.
In the second half, the 49ers built a lead, they ran the ball, and Beathard re-injured his thumb, causing him to throw only one fourth-quarter pass. Because of game-manager mode, Beathard’s finished completing 19 of 25 passes for 288 yards and two scores.
Nevertheless, it was a breakout performance, one that might have impact on when new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo sees the field. But that’s not how Kyle Shanahan sees it.
“As I told you guys, I’m taking it week-by-week. So, I don’t have to put really a pause on anything,” Shanahan said after the 49ers 31-21 win. Shanahan also shot down a tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter saying that Garoppolo would start against Seattle at home after this week’s bye.
“There’s no way anything you guys hear reported could be accurate because I just told you guys our plan, which is we’re going to evaluate when it gets to that time, so it depends where Jimmy is at at that time,” Shanahan said. Shanahan also said the team would monitor Beathard’s injured thumb. He cracked it on a helmet in Philadelphia and reinjured it diving into the end zone during the fourth quarter. After a week of rest, one would think Beathard would be fine.
The plan for Garoppolo to continue the learning process over the bye week. Shanahan said coaches will rotate in throughout the week to work with him.