In 2017, when San Francisco 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard was a rookie, it made sense the first-year pro dealt with more than his fair share of struggles under center.
The Niners, after all, were only beginning the first stages of a complete rebuild. Beathard in relief of an ineffective quarterback, Brian Hoyer, was essentially tossed into the fire after being selected in Round 3 of that year’s NFL Draft.
But when Beathard was forced into service in 2018, following the Week 3 ACL injury to starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, one might have hoped for some notable improvements.