Kyle Shanahan on Saturday gave the most insight he’s given into the 49ers’ backup quarterback battle.
Nick Mullens played almost the entire second half after Jimmy Garoppolo played the whole first half. CJ Beathard didn’t see the field.
In the event the 49ers kept two quarterbacks, Saturday indicated Mullens had a leg up on Beathard for a roster spot. Shanahan said that won’t be a problem though. He told reporters in his postgame press conference that he plans on keeping three quarterbacks on the roster.
This doesn’t rule out the team trading one, but it makes sense that they’re not eager to simply cut a capable backup quarterback. That’s especially true on the heels of a year where the 49ers had to dip into the practice squad to find a healthy starting signal caller.
For now, it looks like Beathard and Mullens will both be on the roster. The battle for the QB2 spot is still very much alive though, and it sounds like Beathard will get the start Thursday in the preseason finale. If the season goes the 49ers’ way though, the backup quarterback won’t need to see the field and Garoppolo will start 16 games.
The 90-man roster must be cut down to 53 players by Sept. 1, a week ahead of the season opener.
