© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
It’s fair to expect C.J. Beathard to improve in his second NFL season. Last year, as a rookie, he assumed the starting role over an 0-6 team. He was beaten up — sacked 17 times and hit 16 times in one game— but earned the respect of his coaches and peers for playing through injuries.
On his Wednesday KNBR appearance, 49ers legend Steve Young described Beathard the way many do: tough and gritty. At this point, Young would like to see Beathard blossom into a good NFL quarterback, known for more than just intangibles. With Jimmy Garoppolo out for the season with a torn ACL, Beathard is the starter moving forward.
Last year, he consistently held onto the ball too long and struggled to run through his progressions. That’s one area Young would like to see Beathard improve.
“I would love to see some orchestration,” Young told KNBR’s Tolbert & Lund. “Where you saw him run a couple plays, you see him go through the whole thing, find a guy in peace, not in chaos or desperation. Like, look, I ran the play and deciphered the whole thing and I found the guy and delivered it. Do it over and over. And go win a game— that’s the next thing.”
Last year, Beathard went 1-4 as a starter. The 49ers lost by an average of 18.5 points with Beathard under center. His 54.9 percent completion rate was the second-worst in the league.
He showed flashes, hitting on some long throws, but he struggled with consistency. Both Kyle Shanahan and Beathard said Wednesday that the 49ers roster is much better this year, particularly the offensive line. That should reduce the number of hits Beathard takes.
Now that Beathard has more help, Young would like to see him play the position and establish himself as a legitimate quarterback. Above all else, Young wants to see Beathard grow.
“He has been around long enough,” Young said. “He can figure out a way to win, and it might take some running people over, that kind of thing, but he can make some throws, and not lose the game. He’s in that place where he can go lose four games in a row if he does too much, goes too fast. But he also can go win a couple games.”
“At the end of the game, you’re like, ‘Who is the star of the game?’ C.J. Beathard. Now, that’s growth.”