"All I can focus on is what I can do and try to help this team be better," San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard told reporters after leading the team to its first victory of the season.
Beathard is coming off of the best game of his young career. Against the New York Giants, he completed 19 of his 25 pass attempts for 288 yards, two passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, an interception, and a passer rating of 123.4. While it was against a one-win team, which won its second game of the season on Sunday, Beathard's outing was an improvement over his others this season.
On October 30, the 49ers traded for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in exchange for a 2018 second-round pick. San Francisco seems content with taking its time in preparing the newly acquired quarterback. Since Garoppolo's arrival, Beathard has started two games and may be in line to start a third when the 49ers face the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on November 26.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team would use its practices this week to determine which quarterback gives the 49ers their best shot at a victory.
"We're letting it play out," Shanahan said last week on KNBR. "And a lot went into how that game went. A lot is going to go into how our practice goes back here on Monday and throughout the week."
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network believes that Beathard has earned another start for the 49ers. The NFL insider was asked if it is finally time for Garoppolo to play.
"It's hard to imagine that it is," Rapoport answered, "and there's one refrain that has been coming out from the team, really, ever since they traded (for) Jimmy Garoppolo for a second-round pick, is that they don't need to force him on the field. They're not going to just play him just to play him, especially not benching someone like C.J. Beathard, who played well and led the team to their first win.
"Obviously, the 49ers would like to see Garoppolo before the season ends. This is a guy they believe is going to be a huge part of the future. (They) would like to get a contract extension done with him, but not at the expense of his safety, at the expense of his comfort, and not at the expense of another quarterback who sounds like he really has earned another start out there for the Niners."