49ers leaving door open for Jimmy Garoppolo to start vs. Seahawks?
The San Francisco 49ers won their first game of the season before the bye week thanks in part to solid play from C.J. Beathard, but it may not have been enough for the rookie quarterback to keep his job.
While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, 49ers general manager John Lynch left the door open for Jimmy Garoppolo to start against the Seattle Seahawks.
John Lynch: C.J. Beathard played extremely well vs. Giants, but Kyle Shanahan will make decision on who starts Sunday.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) November 21, 2017
Lynch later said the plan is for Garoppolo to be the team’s starter in the future, but Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was left with the impression that Beathard has earned at least another week under center.
Takeaways from #49ers GM John Lynch’s briefing with the local media:
1) Jimmy Garoppolo worked on the basics of learning team’s offense with QB coach Rich Scangarello. It’s Kyle Shanahan’s call, but Lynch made it sound as if C.J. Beathard will remain in that role Sunday.— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) November 21, 2017
2) The 49ers will study all the offseason QB options, but Lynch said, “We feel pretty good about our QB room.” On Garoppolo, Lynch said: “We feel he’s going to be our guy."
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) November 21, 2017
Niners fans don’t have a lot to be excited for this season, so they likely want to see Garoppolo take snaps as soon as possible. However, there is no need to rush with San Francisco nowhere near playoff contention. Shanahan likely wants to make sure Garoppolo has a full understanding of the offense before throwing him into the mix.