49ers stick with QB Beathard for another game

Nov 23, 2017 - 6:23 AM SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan philosophized Wednesday about the importance of a unit playing together in football.

The more the 11 men work as a unit, the easier it becomes for that unit to gel.

It seemed like the perfect reason to announce that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would make his first start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, giving the recent acquisition six full games to work with his new teammates and, ideally, springboard the 49ers' offense into a fast start next season.

Except Shanahan used the reasoning as the explanation why he will stick with C.J. Beathard as his quarterback this week.

"I don't see it much different than the other weeks," he said a bit surprisingly Wednesday. "As always, we'll see how practice goes, just like we would with any other position. But reps-wise and everything, we see it the same this week as it's been."

Shanahan said that while Garoppolo, acquired Oct. 30 from the New England Patriots, continues to get more acquainted with the 49ers' offensive scheme, Beathard earned the right to retain his starting status with his performance in the club's first win of the season, 31-21 a week ago Sunday over the New York Giants.

The 49ers had a bye last week.

"Is Jimmy going to be the best he can? To me, that's impossible," Shanahan observed. "He just hasn't been here long enough. I don't think we're going to see Jimmy's best football, to be fair to him, until next year because that's what guys need.

"C.J. did play his best football last week, which definitely, to me, made the decision easier. It wasn't just C.J., but the offense around him. Everyone together. I thought that those group of 11 guys, when they were out there, they had their best game. And that was important for C.J. It was also important for our team.

"I did go into the weekend and all week and into Monday considering Jimmy. But, definitely, the way that game went, I knew it was going to make it easier for me to stick with what we've been doing because I think we made a stride in that way and I don't think it's totally right for Jimmy, C.J., the entire team or organization just to change that right away."

Both friendly rivals took the decision in stride.

"I wasn't surprised," Beathard insisted. "I trust the coaches' decision, whatever they decide to do."

Garoppolo put in a full week's work during the bye, only to see nothing has changed at Wednesday's practice after his new teammates returned from their break.

"The competitor in me, obviously you want to get out there, play with your teammates and help the team win," he said. "But it's a tough situation coming in midway through the season. It's going to be a process, but we'll get there."

Shanahan noted he doesn't need to see Garoppolo in game action to evaluate him and prepare him for his first start, which might be next season.

"Just working with the guy every day and knowing what he's capable of, studying him throughout college and the times he has played in the NFL," Shanahan said, "I know the game's not too big for him. I know he doesn't mind contact. I know he has all the talent. I know just working with him that he's a very smart guy and he's capable of doing it all.

"That's why I don't feel much of a pressure. You don't want to completely judge a guy when he's put in not the best situation with being so behind on this stuff. If he does get the opportunity to go in, which I think he eventually will, it's more just to give him a chance and give him some playing time."

SERIES HISTORY: 38th regular-season meeting. Seahawks lead series, 22-15. The Seahawks have won seven in a row, including the last three meetings at San Francisco. The 49ers' last win was 19-17 at San Francisco on Dec. 8, 2013. The teams have met just once in the postseason, with Seattle winning 23-17 at home in the 2014 NFC Championship Game.

--Actually, two surprises came out of head coach Kyle Shanahan's announcement Wednesday that C.J. Beathard would remain the club's starting quarterback ahead of Jimmy Garoppolo.

The when of the disclosure surprised some as much as the who.

Why not keep the decision private and force Sunday's opponent, the Seattle Seahawks, to prepare for two quarterbacks?

"One, it'd be exhausting to talk about this every day," he explained. "Two, I don't see it as a competitive advantage. If one guy was a totally different quarterback than the other, and they are both different, but if one guy is a complete option quarterback and does all this stuff and the other guy can't move at all, then that's something you keep a secret. It's two totally different offenses.

"But I think you've got two guys who have similar traits and they are going to do some things a little better than the other, but you've got similar traits and that's why I don't see a huge advantage."

--While the competition to be Sunday's starting quarterback appears to be over, that's surely not the case at free safety, where the club's fourth- and fifth-stringers are the last two men standing.

While third-stringer Adrian Colbert, who suffered a broken thumb in the Week 10 win over the New York Giants, hasn't given up hope of facing the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, converted cornerbacks Antone Exum Jr. and Dexter McCoil began their duel to be this week's starter.

The 49ers lost starter Jimmie Ward and his backup, Jaquiski Tartt, to injuries earlier this season.

Shanahan doesn't expect Colbert, who had surgery on his thumb during the bye week and was held out of Wednesday's practice, to be cleared to face the Seahawks.

"Very small chance. Very small chance," he reported. "We haven't ruled him out yet. We'll see. He'd have to practice a little bit this week, but I'm not feeling too optimistic about that."

NOTES: WR/PR Trent Taylor (broken rib) practiced on just a limited basis Wednesday in his hopes of playing Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Taylor suffered the injury in Week 9 against Arizona and sat out the Week 10 win over the New York Giants. ... TE George Kittle (sprained ankle) was limited in practice Wednesday as he tries to return from a one-game absence. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday he expects Kittle to be able to play Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. ... DL Solomon Thomas (sprained knee) is likely to return to game action Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan reported Wednesday. Thomas has missed the last two games, and practiced only on a limited basis Wednesday. ... DE Cassius Marsh was claimed off waivers from the New England Patriots on Wednesday. Marsh was on the Patriots' active roster for last Sunday's win in Mexico City over the Oakland Raiders. The 25-year-old, who began his career with the Seattle Seahawks for three seasons, played in nine games, one as a starter, for the Patriots this year. ... CB/FS Antone Exum Jr. is a candidate to start at free safety against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The first-year 49er has played in just one game this season, getting 14 snaps on special teams in the Week 10 win over the New York Giants. ... CB/FS Dexter McCoil will compete in practice this week with Antone Exum Jr. for the start at free safety in Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. McCoil has seen action in four games this season, including getting 14 snaps on special teams in the Week 10 win over the New York Giants.