Head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed confidence in Beathard as his potential starting quarterback moving forward in the wake of the potential season-ending knee injury suffered Sunday by Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Beathard figures to get the call Week 4 versus the Chargers at a minimum, with the high likelihood he's needed for much longer than that if Garoppolo has suffered a torn ACL as currently feared. Beathard was serviceable after being thrown into the No. 1 job during his rookie 2017 campaign, compiling between 201 and 294 yards in five of six starts while generating a 4:6 TD:INT. The Iowa product also displayed impressive mobility, rushing for more than 20 yards in three of his starts. Beathard will have a solid group of weapons to work with if he does take the reins of the offense, with Marquise Goodwin, Matt Breida and George Kittle particularly offering game-breaking upside, and the likes of Pierre Garcon and Alfred Morris serving as steady veteran assets. More definitive information on Garoppolo's status -- and by extension, Beathard's -- should be revealed at some point Monday.