Coach Kyle Shanahan declined to name Mullens or C.J. Beathard the team's starting quarterback for the Week 10 matchup against the Giants when he met with the media Friday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Given that Beathard was viewed as San Francisco's the clear No. 1 signal-caller before a combination of wrist and thumb injuries limited him to backup duties Thursday against the Raiders, Shanahan's silence on the matter seemingly bodes well for Mullens' chances of earning another nod. Despite entering the Week 9 contest with no career NFL regular-season snaps, Mullens delivered the best performance of any 49ers quarterback in 2018, completing 16 of 22 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns in the 34-3 win. While the Raiders' lack of pass rush and beleaguered secondary contributed to Mullens' success, the flawless outing probably makes the 23-year-old deserving of another opportunity to build on that effort. The 49ers have more draft capital invested in Beathard, a 2017 third-round pick, but his 1-9 record as a starter and penchant for turning the ball over don't offer much optimism for his long-term prospects. Shanahan could remain mum on his Week 10 starter until next Thursday, when the 49ers will reconvene for practice.