the San Francisco 49ers will be sitting Brian Hoyer for the team’s preseason finale, and in his place, C.J. Beathard will start. The team’s backup quarterback position remains a question, but Beathard seems to be getting every opportunity to claim the job from Matt Barkley. There is no indication on playing time, but my guess is the two quarterbacks get a half of play each. Given that this is the preseason finale, few starters are playing, but some will still be out there for both teams. Beathard might have a leg up, but as Kyle Shanahan previously said, he more or less knows what Barkley brings to the table. Beathard is new to the NFL, and the team wants to know as much as they can about him given that he might not play at all this season. Out of all this, I suppose I feel a little bad for Nick Mullens. The 49ers signed him as a UDFA, and he’s spent all preseason carrying a clipboard. I wouldn’t mind seeing him get some fourth quarter playing time, just for kicks. San Francisco 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard has put up yet another huge play for the highlight reel. On Thursday evening against the Los Angeles Chargers, Beathard scrambled away from tackles and turned a short gain into a 62-yard touchdown run. He looked like he was running out of gas, and yet he managed to finish the job and get into the end zone. Beathard has shown some inconsistency at times the past three weeks, but each game he has managed to turn in a crazy big play or two. We’ve seen it with his touchdown passes, and Thursday we got to see it with the legs. Beathard is not a super speedy guy, but he’ll get plenty of mentions for his “deceptive speed.” The over/under on “scrappy” and “blue collar” mentions for Beathard and Taylor is off the board at this point! If everyone was healthy, the Niners would probably keep only eight here, but we're adding a little extra depth because of Garnett's knee injury. After trading for Tomlinson, there's a sense Garnett could be out longer than initially expected, so we're ticketing him for injured reserve with the chance to return later in the season. General manager John Lynch said the decision on Garnett could be made Saturday. But by league rule, if the Niners want to bring Garnett back, he must be on the initial 53-man roster and then be placed on injured reserve. After that, the Niners could designate Garnett and free up an additional roster spot for someone like tackle John Theus. Adding Tomlinson could allow Beadles to serve as an all-purpose backup. The hardest decision here is between Magnuson and veteran Tim Barnes as the backup center. Having an undrafted rookie in that role could be a bit of a risk, but Magnuson has performed well and Beadles could also play center in a pinch if needed
