The San Francisco 49ers travel to face the Minnesota Vikings, and the decision on the backup quarterback is up in the air. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he has not made a decision who will be the No. 2 quarterback for the game. He said the decision will be made after seeing how Matt Barkley and C.J. Beathard perform in practice this week.
Barkley got the No. 2 snaps in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, while Beathard got the No. 2 snaps in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. The backup quarterback decision will be kind of huge for the 49ers this year. Beathard is a lock to make the roster. If Barkley proves to be the best backup option for 2017, the 49ers will be keeping three quarterbacks. If Beathard proves to be the best backup option for 2017, they would likely only carry two quarterbacks. That’s pretty huge considering it would open up another roster spot.
The 49ers and Vikings square off at 5 p.m. PT on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on NBC for a national audience, so we’ll all get a chance to check out what the two quarterbacks bring to the table against a solid Vikings defense. My guess is we hear something before the game, but if not, we’ll have to wait and see what the second or third quarter brings when Brian Hoyer exits the game.