Beathard sustained a bruised knee and strained hip during Sunday's 24-13 loss to the Seahawks, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports. "It was good news, nothing serious or long-term," head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday. "We'll look into it more tomorrow."
Under the direction of Beathard, the 49ers have averaged a meager 16.3 points per game across six appearances, but Shanahan has nonetheless been pleased by his improvement from week to week. Having the confidence of his boss is likely one reason Beathard has been able to fend off Jimmy Garoppolo for as long as he has. The double whammy of ailments could turn the quarterback depth chart on its head, at least in the short term, if Beathard isn't able to practice this week. Expect a decision to come down from Shanahan by Wednesday regarding the starter for this Sunday's game at Chicago.