QB chaos: Beathard to start vs. Arizona
Garoppolo will practice; Mullens faces surgery
Major news hit the 49ers’ quarterback unit Tuesday, two days after the defending NFC champions were eliminated from playoff contention.
• Nick Mullens, who went 2- 6 as a fill-in starter this season, is facing Tommy John surgery to repair an elbow injury he sustained in Sunday’s loss at Dallas.
• Jimmy Garoppolo is cleared to resume practicing but coach Kyle Shanahan does not plan to play him the remaining two games.
• C. J. Beathard will start Saturday against the host Arizona Cardinals, two years after his last start came against them at State Farm Stadium.
• Josh Johnson, a veteran safeguard on the practice squad, went on the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list.
• Beathard’s backup Saturday is expected to be Josh Rosen, who the 49ers are signing off Tampa Bay’s practice squad, ESPN first reported.
• Running back Jerick McKinnon and fullback Kyle Juszczyk are options as emergency quarterbacks. hAROPPOLO STATUS >> Garoppolo has been sidelined since Nov. 1, when a high ankle sprain forced him out of the 49ers’ loss at Seattle. Taking part in Tuesday’s walkthrough practice does not mean he’ll play again this season.
“That’s only if the doctors tell me if it’s 100 percent safe and he feels good, and I’d be very surprised if that happens,” Shanahan said. “It’ll be fun for him to throw the ball around a little bit.
“But we’re going to be very safe with him this week and we’ll see next week. I’d be very surprised if that changes.”
Garoppolo’s same right ankle was injured in the 49ers’ Week 2 win over the New York Jets, and it kept Garoppolo out the next two games, plus it forced him to sit at halftime of a Week 5 return against the Miami Dolphins. He’s officially 3-3 as a starter this season with 1,096 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
Signed through the next two years at $24 million annually, Garoppolo remains the 49ers’ top option in 2021, pending a change of heart and the addition of a more