Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
At the Combine: 49ers GM John Lynch wants C.J. Beathard to become the next Jimmy Garoppolo
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch stepped up to the podium at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Thursday morning and discussed his new franchise quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, at length. However, another starter from the 2017 season also came up -- C.J. Beathard.
Beathard, a rookie who was drafted in the third round out of Iowa, appeared in six games and started five for the 49ers last season. During that time, he completed 54.9 percent of his passes for 1,430 yards, four touchdowns, six interceptions, and a passer rating of 69.2.
Beathard's days as a starter became numbered when the 49ers finalized a trade with the New England Patriots for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo became the team's full-time starter during Week 13 and went on to win each of the team's final five games. The 49ers' newest quarterback signed a five-year, $137.5 million contract in February.
Garoppolo's emergence doesn't mean the 49ers have forgotten about Beathard. Lynch discussed the second-year quarterback at the combine.
"We think very highly of C.J.," Lynch said. "I can tell you one of the reasons that it was -- I won't say easy -- but easier for us to be patient while Kyle was making those decisions with Jimmy was that C.J. was playing well in our mind and was improving every week. C.J. has handled this tremendously well with a tremendous amount of class. It's motivated him to become even better, to continue working on his craft.
"We love his makeup, what he's all about. My message to him: Become the next Jimmy Garoppolo. You keep playing well; good things will happen for you. He understands that."
Beathard grew up around football. He is the grandson of former NFL executive Bobby Beathard, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August.
"I think that background has prepared him for, yeah, there's going to be some adversity. When it looked like things were going so well, that could have been hard for a young man to take. He responded in the fashion that we thought he would, and I think there's exciting times ahead for C.J. Beathard."
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
John Lynch wants Brandon Aiyuk to remain with 49ers for rest of career
Rumors have swirled regarding the situation between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is entering his fifth NFL season and is slated to earn $14.124 million on a team-executed fifth-year option. Despite the 49ers publicly declaring a desire to sign Aiyuk to a contract extension, keeping him on the roster for the foreseeable future, many rumors have focused on potential trade interest.
On Monday, general manager John Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference, addressing the Aiyuk situation without revealing any information on the conversations that have taken place behind closed doors. Once again, he emphasized that the 49ers want Aiyuk to remain with the team for the remainder of his career.
When asked if there was a chance Aiyuk
Breaking down the 49ers drafts under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan
We are less than one week away from the NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers have their first day-one draft pick since 2021. That was the year they selected QB Trey Lance number three overall. The trade-up to get Lance cost the 49ers their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. And now that they are back in the first round, at pick 31, fans are anxious to see what the team does with the pick. And with former assistant GM, Adam Peters, now in Washington, it will be interesting to see how well the 49ers draft without Peters in the room.
We looked back at the seven drafts GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have led to see what information we could pull from those drafts. There were plenty of hits, plenty of misses, and a few surprises along the way. The draft picks are
"Thank God for Mr. Irrelevant": John Lynch reflects on 49ers drafting Trey Lance
The decision to trade up in the 2021 NFL Draft and select quarterback Trey Lance could have had significant consequences for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. With the team lacking first-round picks in the last two drafts due to this move, and Lance no longer on the roster after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys before last season, it's clear the gamble didn't unfold as expected.
Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference on Monday, reflecting on the decision to take such a big chance on Lance. While such a bold move might have jeopardized jobs elsewhere, Lynch and Shanahan were blessed with some good fortune in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Acknowledging the support of the team's ownership, Lynch stated, "They believe in Kyle and I, and our
John Lynch on new draft dynamic, 49ers' chances of trading from No. 31
As customary, NFL teams engage in preliminary discussions about potential draft trades during owner meetings. The San Francisco 49ers currently hold the No. 31 spot in the first round but appear receptive to moving either up or down. The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night.
General manager John Lynch addressed reporters on Monday and acknowledged the wide range of possibilities. However, he noted that any potential discussions about trading spots with other teams will likely intensify later in the week.
"It's going to be an interesting year," Lynch stated. "I think it's an interesting draft class. I was just looking at my notes and one interesting thing to me, dynamic, and the way of the world right now, we put a grade on players in the fall if we think
