If you were hoping for an answer on the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback position, you’re going to have wait a few more days. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he has not decided on who will start in Week 10 against the New York Giants between Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard.
The team has extra rest before Monday Night Football, and the players are getting four days off before returning to practice. Shanahan said he is going to take his time, and does not want to announce a decision while the players are away from the facility. This will give him time to break down film and talk to both Mullens and Beathard about his decision.
Mullens got the start on Thursday because Beathard suffered injuries to his wrist and thumb. Throughout the week, Shanahan said he felt Beathard could have played if the 49ers were on a normal Sunday schedule. Given the short week, it was too quick a turnaround.
But now, following a dynamic performance by Mullens, it becomes a trickier decision. There has always been a saying that you can’t lose your job to injury, but even if Beathard is fully recovered by next week, it seems hard to justify sending him back out there against the Giants. Mullens very well might not be the answer this season, and honestly, he probably will regress considerably. But the 49ers a) need to figure out what he can do, and b) don’t really have anything to lose in a season where Beathard has had his share of struggles.
I hope Mullens gets the start. Even though he was facing an atrocious defense, he still performed exceptionally well. He would seem to have earned a second start as the proverbial “hot hand.”