SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- When San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan decided to make the switch from Brian Hoyer to rookie C.J. Beathard as his starting quarterback a couple weeks ago, he did so with an eye toward the future.
Beathard gave the Niners a spark against Washington coming off the bench in Week 6. Then in Week 7, with 10 games left in the season, making Beathard the starter figured to give Shanahan and his staff a strong sample with which to evaluate the rookie. That was particularly important before an offseason in which the Niners figure to have plenty of salary-cap space and draft picks to find their long-term quarterback solution.
Apparently, Shanahan didn't need 10 games to make a determination on Beathard. He only needed two. ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported Monday night that the 49ers traded their second-round pick to the New England Patriots for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, thus eliminating any remaining outside hopes that Beathard could become the starter beyond this season.
While Beathard struggled in the Niners' 33-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, it wasn't entirely fair to judge him on that game because of the wet and rainy conditions and a supporting cast that kept losing key contributors.
"I didn't think he had many opportunities to play very good," Shanahan said. "He was put in some tough situations, so I try to evaluate how he handles it, the type of guy he is. Does it seem like there's any quit in him? I was very pleased with his demeanor. He got banged up a lot, but the way he kept going back out there, stayed aggressive and played to the best of his ability."
Although Shanahan was able to watch Beathard and get a gauge on some of his intangibles, that doesn't add much to Beathard's résumé. Toughness, demeanor and fortitude were already positive marks on Beathard's ledger, but his line of 17-of-36 for 167 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for a passer rating of 46.9 left plenty to be desired.
With Garoppolo on board, we must now look at Beathard through a different lens. Along with the acquisition of Garoppolo, the Niners also released veteran Brian Hoyer, according to Schefter. That leaves just Beathard and Garoppolo on the quarterback depth chart, though the 49ers also have rookie Nick Mullens on the practice squad.
Clearly, the idea of trading for Garoppolo is to make him the long-term starter. That leaves Beathard as a backup and means the 49ers must now begin to look at him as a possibility for that role beyond this season. In that context, his struggles against the Eagles aren't quite as difficult to swallow.
Consider that the Niners started the game without right tackle Trent Brown because of a concussion. Then they lost right tackle Garry Gilliam to a knee injury and left tackle Joe Staley to an eye injury. Absent Brown, Staley and Gilliam, the Niners turned to veteran Zane Beadles and undrafted rookie Erik Magnuson, both of whom are interior linemen more so than tackles, though they have played tackle at some stage of their careers.
Later, veteran wideout Pierre Garcon left with a neck injury and, like Staley and Gilliam, did not return to the game. Add all of that to the wet conditions that made gripping the ball more difficult, and you have the type of game that is hard to hold against Beathard as the Eagles ratcheted up the pressure all game.
On Monday, before news of the Garoppolo trade broke, Shanahan gave another vote of confidence to Beathard, perhaps knowing that his role would soon be changing.
"I think he gives us a chance to make some plays," Shanahan said. "I think when things aren't there, when protection breaks down, he has the ability to make plays with his legs. And I'm enjoying working with him. And I know we're going to go through some bumps in the road, but I do believe the more opportunities he gets out there, the better chance he has to improve and the more he improves the more our team will improve.”
Considering the circumstances, maybe it could have been worse for Beathard, but it definitely could have been much better. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Eagles pressured Beathard on 38 percent of his 45 dropbacks, the second-highest pressure percentage in a game by Philadelphia this season. On plays on which he was pressured, Beathard was 3-of-10 for 31 yards with an interception and four sacks. He was also hit 12 other times.
With Garoppolo in tow, the starting job will soon no longer belong to Beathard. Chances are, that change won't be made this week as the Niners are still dealing with serious injuries all over the offense. It's even possible that San Francisco will wait until after the bye before making the switch to Garoppolo.
Which means Beathard could be in line to get another start or two before Garoppolo makes his 49ers debut. If that happens, it will give the Niners a chance to determine if Beathard could have staying power as a backup. In reality, that was always his most likely destination.