Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Shanahan explains why C.J. Beathard can be successful in the NFL
Aug 18, 2017 at 2:48 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was excited about rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard when the team drafted him in April. So excited that Shanahan
compared him to Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins after the 49ers traded two picks to move back into the third round to select him. In fact, while Mitch Trubisky was Shanahan's top rated quarterback in this past draft, Beathard was reportedly
the only signal caller who he wanted.
On Thursday,
Shanahan announced that Beathard would be the first quarterback off of the bench on Saturday night when the 49ers host the Denver Broncos in an exhibition game at Levi's Stadium. That's a big jump for a rookie quarterback who, until now, has been behind both Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley on the 49ers depth chart. On Saturday, Barkley will be the third quarterback on the depth chart and Beathard will see playing time once the starters' work is complete.
"Tough as s---," Shanahan has said while describing what made Beathard such an attractive prospect. The quarterback's NFL story is just starting. There is no way to predict how it will end. He could end up being an NFL great, a career backup, or a complete bust. Only time will tell. While Shanahan has never made any bold predictions about his quarterback, he does feel that he has what it takes to succeed in the NFL – even if his numbers didn't always show it.
Statistics don't really factor into how Shanahan evaluates a quarterback. Apparently, they never have. The offensive genius has always preferred to just simply watch the tape and see how prospects handle being thrown into tough situations. Beathard has seen his share of tough situations during his time at Iowa and that's what caught Shanahan's eye.
"You just watch every play and based on the opportunity that he was given on a play," Shanahan said Thursday
during an interview on KNBR. "What was the end result and what was he capable of doing? I watched a lot of tape on him and, you're right, the offense wasn't that exciting. They didn't have a lot of talent around him.
"I saw a lot of games where I felt the receivers were manned up and people weren't open. I felt like they weren't blocking very well all the time for him and I saw a guy who still made plays. I saw a guy who, even when you watch the Florida bowl game, I've never seen a guy get hit as much as he did and it doesn't phase him. I know it would phase me. If I got hit that much, I'm definitely going to start looking different. When I can see someone going through that, you know, without even knowing them, alright, this guy is tough enough to play in this league.
"And you watch him as a thrower and making stuff into tight windows. When there's not a lot of people open, you're not always going to have great stats and, in college, if you run that type of system, which I do like their type of system, but if you do, you're not going to have the same numbers as a lot of other people.
"I've had a lot of people ask me, 'Why don't you like this quarterback? He's so accurate.' I'll be like, 'He's not accurate at all.' And then they'll be like, 'He had a 75-percent completion percentage.' I'm like, 'Really? I had no idea.'
"Then I'll go watch the tape and then 24 of his 30 throws were screens and bubbles. Well, that's why I don't think that because he really had four throws in the game that I considered are NFL throws and they were all over the place. So you've got to look at it all and I think a guy like C.J. – me guessing because I don't know his stats – but that stuff is not going to show up like other people.
"But we did see the qualities that I think it takes to be successful in the NFL and we'll see how he develops them and how much he can handle the pressure week in and week out. When you have a tough guy who is smart and has the ability to make all the throws, I think he has a good chance to play in this league."
You can
listen to the entire interview with Shanahan on
KNBR.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Kyle Shanahan explains why 49ers promoted Nick Sorensen to defensive coordinator
After Steve Wilks's dismissal, the San Francisco 49ers had several options for their vacant defensive coordinator position. Although former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley was considered for the role, he ultimately joined the coaching staff as the assistant head coach under head coach Kyle Shanahan. He will focus on game plan preparations while offering his experience to the team.
Nick Sorensen, the team's defensive pass game specialist, was awarded the defensive coordinator position. Shanahan opted for an internal candidate, valuing Sorensen's familiarity with the staff and the defensive system.
When asked what qualities Sorensen demonstrated to prove he's ready to call plays for the defense, Shanahan explained, "He's worked with a lot of people
Daniel Jeremiah explains why 49ers could still address pass rush in NFL Draft
Mock drafts will never please everyone, especially when they solely focus on the first 32 selections without offering perspective on what might come beyond the first round. Regarding the San Francisco 49ers, analyst Daniel Jeremiah's latest mock draft was no different. He projected former Penn State pass rusher Chop Robinson to join the Bay Area team.
Why the skepticism from fans? The 49ers' free agency focus has been on revamping their defensive front. After allowing Arik Armstead, Chase Young, and others to depart for other organizations, the team addressed last season's inconsistent play by adding defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos, trading for defensive tackle Maliek
Jimmy Garoppolo explains why he signed with 49ers' division rival
Jimmy Garoppolo is back in the NFC West after signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback recently explained his decision to join the division rival after a one-season stint with the Las Vegas Raiders.
"Obviously good players all around," Garoppolo said, per ESPN. "That's a big part of it. Talking to [head coach] Sean [McVay] on the phone, him just running me through offense and things that he had in mind, it really became appetizing. And I know a lot of the coaches here, so a lot of familiarity in that aspect. And then having played against the Rams a lot in my career, I've seen a lot of good things
John Lynch explains 49ers' draft penalty
A week ago, the NFL penalized the San Francisco 49ers for payroll accounting errors. As punishment, the team forfeited a 2025 fifth-round draft pick and had its fourth-round pick in next month's draft moved to the end of the round.
On Monday, general manager John Lynch addressed reporters at the NFL owners meetings and explained the punishment more thoroughly.
"I have a difference of opinion on the severity of the discipline. We take accountability for what happened," Lynch said.
He revealed that the 49ers overpaid an unspecified player $75,000 during the COVID era, labeling the mistake as a "clerical error" after implementing a new system.
"We own