San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan just wants to do whatever will benefit his team heading into the regular season's final three games. That could include a quarterback change.
Nick Mullens received one of the worst grades from Pro Football Focus for his performance in the 49ers' loss on Sunday to Washington. He nearly got pulled during the fourth quarter for C.J. Beathard, but a scoring drive kept him on the field.
"I think after the way the game went yesterday, we'll think about everything," Shanahan told reporters on Monday after being asked about a potential switch at quarterback. "Today, I met with the players, with the staff, I met with the team, just finished meeting with the offense, then came in here, so I haven't really had a chance to discuss that with anyone, but I'm up for anything right now. So, we'll see how that goes within the next couple of days."
Shanahan was asked if he is looking to see if Beathard can step into the starting role again. The quarterback is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Is the coach looking to evaluate Beathard?
"No, I'm just trying to consider what will give us the best chance to win," Shanahan responded, "and that's pretty much what I try to decide on that every week, based off who plays. And just the way we've been turning the ball over so much, I need to decide if a change of quarterbacks will help or not.
"So, that's something we'll look into, but regardless of what's going on in any situation, it's very tough to win football games when we've been turning the ball over."
Shanahan also discussed the possibility of upgrading the team's backup quarterbacks during the upcoming offseason. That decision will be based on a review of the entire season and factoring in who might be available in free agency and the draft. Of course, that goes for every position, not just quarterbacks.
"You're always trying to get better," Shanahan said. "I do think we have guys that we can win with, who have got it done, but you're always trying to look to get better guys. It's just part of this business, and I think our players know that. And that's why, no matter who's out there, there's pressure on you every day."
Added Shanahan: "I think we do have two guys who have the capability (to be starters) for different reasons, but they haven't been playing like that, and I don't think we've been playing like that around them. I do still feel they have that ability. That's why I'm always confident to have them on our team."