C.J. Beathard will be the first quarterback off the bench on Saturday when the San Francisco 49ers host the Denver Broncos in Week 2 of the preseason. Kyle Shanahan told reporters following Thursday's joint practice that the third-round pick is going to backup to Pierre Garçon.
Beathard impressed in his preseason debut, completing 7-of-11 passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. The Iowa product led a fourth-quarter comeback in the 49ers 27-17 win against the Kansas City Chiefs. He's currently battling for the backup job with veteran Matt Barkley. Barkley completed 10-of-17 passes for 168 yards as the No. 2 quarterback.
Shanahan also shared that he expects the starters to go a little longer on Saturday. Hoyer and Co. only played two drives against the Chiefs. They'll likely play into the second quarter against the Broncos.
Then it will be Beathard's turn. The third-round pick will look to continue his steady progress against one of the deeper defensive units the NFL has to offer.
