C.J. Beathard might be mistaken for a punter in street clothes. Between the lines, he’s one of the 49ers’ toughest players.
That was evident again on Sunday, when the slender quarterback made his sixth career start following Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-ending knee injury last week.
Beathard was hit eight times against the Chargers, not including seven rushing attempts and a few escapes from would-be sacks, and was even knocked out of the game after a big hit on a near third-down conversion in the fourth quarter. But he wound up returning once he re-gathered his breath after getting the wind knocked out of him.