SANTA CLARA–When the San Francisco 49ers drafted Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft, the pick was met with skepticism and curiosity.
Though Beathard guided his Hawkeyes team to the Rose Bowl during his junior season and an eight-win campaign during his senior year, Beathard wasn’t viewed as one of the most sought after quarterback prospects in the weeks and months leading up to the NFL Draft.
While external expectations for Beathard may not have been particularly high, the 49ers brought Beathard in to compete for the backup job with veteran Matt Barkley, and so far, he’s built up a strong case that he should serve as the 49ers’ second-string signal-caller this season.
After a 7-for-11, two-touchdown performance in the 49ers’ preseason opener against Kansas City, Beathard was strong again on Saturday evening against Denver, completing 7-of-12 attempts for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Beathard received extensive work with the 49ers’ second-team offense on Saturday after Barkley ran with the second-team offense last week against Kansas City. Though he missed on a handful of third down attempts that would have extended 49ers’ drives, he was responsible for the two longest passing plays of the evening, including a 29-yard touchdown pass he connected on with fellow Hawkeyes’ product George Kittle.
“He (Beathard) did a solid job,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “It was tough to get anyone in rhythm. We didn’t stay on the field very long. It was nice that he was able to hit Kittle in the flat on a keeper on the first series and it seemed like Kittle made a hell of a play down the sidelines. I lost it at the end so I didn’t see exactly how he finished it.”
The play that set up the 49ers’ lone offensive touchdown on Saturday night was set up by a 39-yard toss from Beathard to Aldrick Robinson that served as the longest offensive play of the night for San Francisco’s offense.
Both the Robinson catch and the Kittle touchdown reception were set up by excellent play-fakes from Beathard, who contributed to selling the run before uncorking on-time and on-target throws.
While Shanahan would have liked to see Beathard sustain longer drives in the other series he played, Shanahan admitted it was challenging for anyone on the 49ers’ offense to get into rhythm against Denver’s defense.
“From what I saw with Beathard he did a solid job,” Shanahan said. “There was a couple third downs that he missed. You know it was hard to get anyone in a rhythm in that game but under the circumstances, he did solid.”
At least for the time being, Barkley is still listed as the No. 2 quarterback on San Francisco’s unofficial depth chart, but Beathard continues to impress in his in-game opportunities.
One of the greatest concerns any inexperienced quarterback –and especially a rookie– faces is whether the moment is too big. The speed of the game, the pressure of the situation and the weight of a team’s struggles can begin to mount on young signal-callers, but Beathard maintained his poise throughout his stint on Saturday night.
Beathard’s footwork looked clean, he appeared confident in his reads, and he seemed to have a good handle of a complex offensive that requires plenty of pre-snap motions and shifts. While the rookie won’t be challenging starter Brian Hoyer at the top of the depth chart in the near future, the 49ers stand to gain by developing Beathard and could be better off if he winds up in front of Barkley at the end of the preseason.
What’s clear through two preseason games is that Beathard has the tools to be viable in Shanahan’s system, and it’s up to the 49ers’ coaches to continue to mold those tools as the year progresses.