Garoppolo will yield the quarterback role to C.J. Beathard for the second half of Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports. If he doesn't reenter the game, Garoppolo will finish 7-for-17 passing for 77 yards and two interceptions.
On seven first-half possessions, the 49ers scored one touchdown, but they otherwise punted three times, had a turnover on downs and capped the half with back-to-back Garoppolo picks. Per Wagoner, coach Kyle Shanahan told the Fox broadcast that the decision was made to "protect" Garoppolo, who was making his first appearance after two games missed due to a high right-ankle sprain. San Francisco doesn't have a respite for the foreseeable future -- its bye is Week 11 -- but it stands to reason Garoppolo will have his practice reps closely monitored in the short term to make sure he can perform on game day. Nick Mullens was a healthy scratch Sunday, so Garoppolo will serve as the sole backup to Beathard in the second half.