SANTA CLARA, California – Whether or not he wanted to make a change at the quarterback, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has no choice but to turn to third-stringer CJ Beathard for Saturday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
That’s because Beathard is the only healthy quarterback on the active squad.
Beathard’s return to the starting lineup comes almost a year from the day after his brother Clayton was stabbed to death outside a bar in Nashville, Tennessee.
“To go through what he did last year and then go straight to quarantine and come to us with the season, I know it was a huge challenge for him,” said Shanahan. “And I’m excited to have him this week. I have as much respect for CJ as anyone I’ve ever been with as a person and as a player, and it will be fun working with him this week.”
Shanahan said on Tuesday that Nick Mullens is dealing with a right elbow injury that could require Tommy John surgery and will cost him the last two games of the season. Team doctors wait for the swelling to subside in Mullens’s elbow before determining the severity of the injury and which surgery is needed.
Complicating matters was Tuesday’s news that exhibition team quarterback Josh Johnson has been placed on the reserve / COVID-19 list, meaning he can’t be activated in time for Saturday’s game.
And while the Niners opened the 21-day exhibition period for starter Jimmy Garoppolo to return from the high ankle sprain that left him on an injured reserve, Garoppolo is unlikely to play in any of the last two games.
“Right now he’s safe to go out for practice, which we only walk through today, but it will be fun for him to throw the ball around a little bit,” said Shanahan. ‘But we’ll be very safe with him this week. We will see next week, but I would be very surprised if that changes. ‘
All of this has left Beathard as the only option in the game’s main position. Due to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols, which require players to go through a six-day test period before they can be activated, the Niners cannot sign a quarterback off the street, leaving them with only one option.
“The only way we can get back up for the game is to get someone from someone else’s practice squad,” said Shanahan. “So we’re in the process of doing that right now. Hopefully we’ll get a backup for the game.”
Elsewhere on the injury front, the 49ers are dealing with another flare-up of ailments. Running back Raheem Mostert will not play for the last two weeks as he faces an exacerbation of the high ankle sprain that has plagued him for most of the second half of the season.
Cornerback Richard Sherman has calf pain again and is considered daily, according to Shanahan. Free safety Jimmie Ward (concussion protocol) and defensive equipment Javon Kinlaw (knee) were also among those not expected to practice on Tuesday. Recipient Deebo Samuel has been ruled out with a hamstring injury for the rest of the season.
Tight George Kittle, meanwhile, has a chance to bounce back against the Cardinals. Kittle has been out with a broken foot since Nov. 1 and opened his practice window last week.
Shanahan said on Tuesday that Kittle “has a chance this week” and noted that if Kittle gets through the week without a hitch, he plans to play with him. Asked why Kittle would play despite the Niners being eliminated from the post-season twist, Shanahan said it was a matter of fairness to the locker room.
“Obviously I don’t want to hurt George or anything like that, and so we’re going to be overly careful about it and that’s why we’ve been,” said Shanahan. “But when someone is 100 percent healthy, I can’t look the rest of the team in the eye and tell them to play, but not George. That’s part of having a team and treating people the right way.”