SANTA CLARA — The 49ers may already have made the transition to Jimmy Garoppolo without actually intending to.
With 1:07 left in their 24-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, quarterback C.J. Beathard threw an incomplete pass to Carlos Hyde in the flat. While Beathard released the ball, he took a hit from Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett.
The play didn’t count. Bennett lined up in the neutral zone and jumped offsides before the center snapped the ball — a 5-yard penalty against Seattle. But the hit counted. It knocked Beathard out of the game.
Bennett hit Beathard in his left knee.