Whatever plan the San Francisco 49ers had for starting newly acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo could be scuttled due to injuries sustained by C.J. Beathard on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
For head coach Kyle Shanahan, the choice of who starts this week against the Chicago Bears could be a very simple one.
According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Shanahan wasn’t sure Beathard would be physically able to practice on Wednesday due to a knee contusion and a hip strain sustained on a hit by Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett in the closing minutes. If Beathard can’t practice on Wednesday, Garoppolo will get the start.
"(Beathard) is a rookie quarterback and (Garoppolo) basically is also, with him just being here,” Shanahan said. “To give those guys the best chance to be successful, you want to give them all the reps, which still isn’t enough reps. Any time you split those evenly it’s kind of a disservice to both.”
Garoppolo played three snaps against Seattle in relief of Beathard. He scrambled for a 4-yard gain and completed two passes for 18 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Louis Murphy on the final play of the game.
Shanahan will officially name a starter on Wednesday when Beathard’s status will be fully known.