Can C.J. Beathard be the 49ers' long-term answer at QB?

Kyle Shanahan will ask a rookie quarterback to help deliver his first win as an NFL head coach. And, in a perfect world, perhaps C.J. Beathard can be more than just a short-term, stop-gap solution for the San Francisco 49ers.

By the end of Sunday’s loss there was little doubt that Beathard would be the new starting quarterback for the 0-6 49ers, and Shanahan confirmed that the team was giving Beathard the job. Veteran Brian Hoyer hadn’t done much this season, then was benched with the offense struggling on Sunday at the Washington Redskins. Beathard gave the offense a little life although the 49ers lost 26-24. San Francisco became the first team in NFL history to lose five consecutive games but three points or less.

Beathard doesn’t fit the profile of a can’t-miss franchise quarterback. Beathard, who played in college at Iowa, was a bit of a surprise third-round pick. He wasn’t considered a potential third-rounder by many draft analysts, but clearly Shanahan and general manager John Lynch saw something in him. Beathard had some good moments in the preseason, and threw his first NFL regular-season passes on Sunday. He was 19 of 36 for 245 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The 49ers brought in 32-year-old Hoyer to help bridge the gap before the 49ers found their permanent solution at quarterback. San Francisco had the second pick in this year’s draft and had the option to choose any quarterback in this season’s class, including breakout star Deshaun Watson, and passed until the late third round with Beathard. That’s a pretty big gamble, to pass a Watson or Patrick Mahomes in the first round and then use a valuable third-round pick on Beathard.

Now the 49ers will get plenty of time to figure out if Beathard can be the permanent starter beyond this season, or if they’ll need to draft someone early or make a long-anticipated move for Kirk Cousins if he hits free agency. Beathard certainly has the opportunity to cement himself into the team’s long-term plans. Clearly the 49ers see something in him.

In the meantime, the 49ers will hope Beathard is good enough to just get them their first win of this already rough season.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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