© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
We have reached the C.J. Beathard-Josh Rosen point of the year. Quite honestly, this is as good as it gets. There’s nothing at stake except draft positioning, and the final two teams are division opponents. That’s not to discount the importance of draft positioning; the best-case scenario is losing out.
But if the 49ers beat either or both of the currently 8-6 Arizona Cardinals and 10-4 Seattle Seahawks with Beathard or Rosen at quarterback, the entertainment value of that alone will be worth the draft slot slide.
C.J Beathard takes the wide view
Beathard gets it. He’s not stressing these last two games. The playoffs are out of reach, and he’s out of contract at the end of the season. Despite failing to be the guy who Kyle Shanahan dreamt would be his franchise quarterback (well, after Kirk Cousins), there was a certain zen-like quality to Beathard on Wednesday.
He’s taking the opportunity in stride with the sort of relaxed approach he probably should have. Beathard said he doesn’t look at this like being a “tryout” opportunity.
“I’m not really thinking in those terms,” Beathard said. “I’m just thinking of in terms of I’ve got two games here in the season. Obviously our playoff hopes are are dead now. So I think it’s an opportunity to go out there and have some fun. Go out there and let it rip and just have some fun. Don’t think too much about the future because you never know what the future holds. So I’m just really focused on going out there and doing what I can do and having some fun.”
It’s been a brutal year for Beathard, who lost the backup job in training camp a year ago. His brother, Clayton, was fatally stabbed outside a bar in Nashville last December.
Beathard ruminated on life after his brother’s death, and said that experience has helped him set his priorities straight.
“I’ve put things into perspective after what happened to my brother a year ago,” Beathard said. “I would not be where I am now. If I didn’t go through this stuff I did my first couple years, even this past year especially, nothing compares to losing a sibling and that stuff puts everything into perspective and I can honestly say I’ve grown so much through everything in my life…
It’s put a lot of things into perspective and what matters in life. You truly never know when your last day is going to be, so [I’m] just trying to be a light to people and going out every day, whether it be second string, third string, first string, going out and enjoying and having fun each day, doing the best that you can with a good attitude.”
As Kyle Shanahan pointed out, Beathard had been growing out his hair, until December 21, which was the anniversary of his brother’s death. Beathard cut it following that anniversary, showing up to his presser with a short cut.
He said mentally, he’s at the best place he’s ever been, and those tribulations have helped him not get hung up on minor inconveniences he said often bothered him.
“I’ve really learned so much in the last year,” Beathard said. “I’ve never been in as good of a spot as I am mentally than I ever have been just with what I’ve learned and truly knowing where to put my faith and what things get to you and what things don’t get to you. Whereas the past, I might have let little things really ruin a day or not. Now, I think I’m in a lot better headspace.”
Crucially, Beathard said he’s matured and hasn’t put pressure on himself like at the start of his career. With “nothing to lose,” he said he and the 49ers have adopted the motto of, like kids playing Pop Warner “just having some fun with it.”
Brandon Aiyuk could break Jerry Rice’s record
Currently, Brandon Aiyuk has five receiving touchdowns (two rushing) and 733 receiving yards.
The rookie touchdown record for the franchise is by Roger Craig, who had 12 in 1983, followed by Ricky Watters with 11 and Earl Cooper, with nine (1980). He has already tied Dante Pettis’ record for the most touchdowns by a rookie receiver in the Super Bowl era, with five.
If you’re going based on his year-long numbers, he’s on pace to have the second-most rookie receiving yards in 49ers franchise history, ahead of Deebo Samuel’s 802 receiving yards last year.
Based off his last six games, in which he’s had 568 yards for a 94.67 yards per game average, he’s on pace for 922 yards, which would be five shy of Jerry Rice’s rookie record 927 yards. He already has the most receptions by a rookie receiver, with 59, but he has long odds to catch Earl Cooper’s rookie record 83 receptions in 1983 as a running back.
Most folks believe he’ll finish above Samuel, but below Rice.
Brandon Aiyuk up to 5 rec. TD, 733 yds:
– 568 yds last 6
– 94.67 YPG last 6, pace of 922 yds
– 66 YPG on year, pace of 865 yds#49ers all-time rookie receiving:
Deebo Samuel, 802 yds
Jerry Rice, 927 ydsWhere do you think Aiyuk finishes the year?
(Leave a final TD/yds guess)
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) December 20, 2020
Aiyuk, for his part, thinks he could eclipse Rice’s record in one game. When asked about the record, he made an encouraging but harsh self-assessment, saying that he has yet to play as well as he can, but that he expects to put up 200 yards a game.
Practice participation report
Did not practice
- DT Javon Kinlaw (knee)
- RB Raheem Mostert (ankle) – done for the year
- QB Nick Mullens (right elbow) – done for the year
- WR Deebo Samuel (hamstring) – done for the year
- CB Richard Sherman (calf)
- S Jimmie Ward (concussion)
Limited
- C Hroniss Grasu (knee)
- WR Richie James (ankle)
- DE Dion Jordan (knee) – did not practice Tuesday
- S Tarvarius Moore (knee) – did not practice Tuesday
Full
- CB Jason Verrett (illness)