With Jimmy Garoppolo out for the year and the keys to the offense handed to C.J. Beathard, there will naturally be calls for the San Francisco 49ers to tank the 2018 season.
That many will believe it is not worth the Niners competing to win their remaining 13 games is understandable. They are 1-2 and it will be a surprise if they don’t drop to 1-3 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Few teams are capable of recovering from such a record to reach the playoffs and nobody will expect the 49ers to do so with Beathard under center. The 2017 third-round pick threw four touchdowns to six interceptions in five starts before being displaced by Garoppolo last year.
Despite recent improvements made to the roster, the 49ers still have some huge holes. Edge rusher and cornerback are weaknesses and the Niners could benefit significantly from the top-five pick tanking could land them.
Yet there is more reason for the 49ers to compete with Beathard rather than engineer a slump to seal a lofty draft position.
The 49ers believe they have a franchise quarterback in Garoppolo. The only thing more valuable than having one starting quarterback is having two, and the Niners feel Beathard can provide that luxury.
Though he struggled as a rookie, San Francisco’s belief in Beathard is based on solid reasoning. He has the benefit of in-game experience, will be playing behind a much-improved offensive line and aided by a ground attack ranked second in the NFL in yards per game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is also magnificent at scheming receivers open and should put Beathard in positions to succeed.
Should he thrive this year, the 49ers could feasibly deal him to a quarterback-needy team in exchange for draft capital. A strong sophomore effort from Beathard may help the Niners secure some additional long-term assets, and it would also likely have a positive impact on the development of the current crop of young players that dominate this roster.
Experience, particularly on defense, is something many 49ers players lack and would be best gained in competitive games. If Beathard can keep the 49ers in close contests, the team Garoppolo will return to should be much improved.
There is an obvious allure to tanking for draft position. However, in a stacked NFC the likelihood is the 49ers will land a decent pick even if Beathard does excel. And the possibility of him becoming a tradeable asset who can help them stockpile picks makes that scenario more attractive.
Beathard impressing would keep the 49ers interesting and set them up well for the future. Tanking achieves only one of those things. As enticing as it may seem now with Garoppolo on the shelf, it makes much more sense for the Niners and their fans to believe in the backup.
