Fans hoping for a quarterback change following the San Francisco 49ers' 39-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and the two-interception performance by quarterback C.J. Beathard on Sunday are going to be disappointed. A reporter asked head coach Kyle Shanahan if a change at quarterback could be on the horizon. With nothing else to lose this season, why not take a look at backup Nick Mullens?
"Because C.J. is the best quarterback we have in the building," an obviously annoyed Shanahan said after the game.
That may not sound like a glowing endorsement of Beathard but, for now, it's a fact for Shanahan and the coaching staff. There aren't a whole lot of other viable options for the 49ers right now. As for the offensive miscues against the Rams, Shanahan doesn't believe it's fair to place all the blame on Beathard.
"It's not just C.J.; it's everyone," Shanahan said. "The quarterback, when the ball leaves his hands, he's going to get credit for that turnover but by no means is it 100 percent on C.J.
"Of course, he's got to do better, I've got to do better, and we've got to do a lot better around him."
It's easy to understand why Shanahan might be frustrated. At this point in the season, there isn't much he can do about the quarterback play other than work with his second-year player. The only other quarterback currently on the roster is Mullens. The team signed veteran Tom Savage this past Tuesday as an emergency quarterback but waived him on Saturday to address other roster needs due to injuries.
Savage is likely to return to the team once the injury situation is clarified.
The 49ers can't exactly sign someone who can come in and make a significant impact. Any acquisition would need time to get up to speed unless they were already familiar with Shanahan's offense. Even then, it would take time to become familiar enough to get on the field.
Trading for a quarterback would mean giving up a draft pick to try to save a season during which you have already lost six games. Plus, Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be healthy by training camp next year so the solution would be a short-term one.
Beathard isn't concerned with his stats. He just wants to figure out a way to add another game to the win column.
"It never feels good when you're 1-6 and not winning games," Beathard told reporters after the loss. "Like I said last week, I'd rather play awful, throw a bunch of picks, and win a game than throw for a bunch of yards and touchdowns and lose.
"I think we just need to start winning some games."
Beathard was 15-of-27 for 170 yards with a touchdown and the two picks against the Rams. He also lost a fumble. Beathard has thrown an interception in each of his starts this season and has thrown two-or-more in three of those four games.
Second-year 49ers tight end George Kittle, a college teammate of Beathard's, remains positive about his close friend and believes the quarterback is already looking past the most recent defeat.
"C.J.'s a very positive person, and he just comes into work every single day, trying his best," Kittle said. "I don't want to speak for C.J. He comes in, he works just as hard as everybody else, and he's really good at flushing the game and moving on. That's what he's going to do. That's what we're all going to do, and we're going to move on, look forward to Arizona."
Arizona is the next team on San Francisco's schedule. There is some good news when it comes to that schedule. Next up are the Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, and New York Giants. Those teams each have just one win. The 49ers have the potential to go on a small run before the bye week but will likely hurt their draft status if they do.
Also, two of those three games are on primetime, so the 49ers have an opportunity to show improvement or further embarrass themselves in front of a national audience.
What do the 49ers need to do to move forward and put their latest ugly loss behind them? Nothing, according to Kittle.
"I've already flushed it, and I'm ready for Arizona," he told reporters after the game.