Nick Mullens could be the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers when the team hosts the Oakland Raiders at Levi's Stadium on Thursday night. Starter C.J. Beathard is dealing with wrist and thumb injuries he sustained to his right hand against the Arizona Cardinals.
"My wrist and thumb is kind of messed up," Beathard told reporters on Tuesday. "It's two days after the game, so, hopefully, tomorrow, it will feel a lot better."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Beathard is having trouble holding the football and will not practice on Tuesday. The 49ers will know more about the quarterback's status on Wednesday, but it could come down to a game-time decision.
Does Beathard believe he will be healthy enough to play against the Raiders?
"Yeah, I'm hoping so," he answered.
As for Mullens, he is preparing with the mindset that he will be Thursday's starter when the 49ers take the field.
Mullens doesn't receive a lot of practice reps as a backup. With the short turnaround from Sunday's game to Thursday's, he won't get a lot this week either. The 49ers won't have time to hold a full practice this week, Shanahan said. They will have a walkthrough late on Tuesday and another on Wednesday, the latter of which will be closed to the media.
"There's just not enough time for these guys to recover, so the first time we'll run full-speed is Thursday," Shanahan said.
"That's the challenge of being a backup," Mullens told reporters on Tuesday. "You don't get a lot of reps, but you have to keep yourself mentally sharp throughout the week. So really, just playing the game in my head. That's kind of what I do.
"I go home, see what plays we have in for the week, and you've got to play the game in your head before it actually plays out. So that's kind of what I've done each week."
Mullens completed 72.1 percent of his passes for 396 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions during the preseason. He also ran the football five times for 20 yards with two touchdowns. Thursday would be his first NFL start.
"I thought he played well in the preseason," Shanahan said. "He did good. Nick comes in there, he moves the chains, competes hard, made some plays with his legs and his arm. Guys believe in him, and he's as competitive and confident of a guy that I've been around. If he needs to play this week, he'll be on it."
Running back Matt Breida told reporters that he is typically one of the first players to get to the team facility and Mullens is already there when he arrives.
"I've been here with Nick since day one," Breida said. "Me and him were both undrafted and he's one of the hardest workers I know as far as on the field and off the field. And he's going to make sure he's prepared if he's got to go in and play. If he has to play, I'm not worried at all."
