There are plenty of question marks facing the San Francisco 49ers as they prepare for a Week 2 road showdown against the New Orleans Saints, and perhaps the biggest among them is whether or not quarterback Brock Purdy will be ready to go in time after suffering both shoulder and toe injuries during last Sunday's win over the Seattle Seahawks.
After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Purdy would be day-to-day, which opens the door to the Niners potentially having to start their offseason free-agent pickup, Mac Jones, in Purdy's stead if the latter winds up being unavailable.
And that also means San Francisco likely has to add a competent No. 2 to Week 2's depth chart.
Currently, the 49ers have Adrian Martinez on the practice squad, a late-August signing who doesn't exactly have full experience and command of Shanahan's complex offense.
Instead, the Niners may opt to pivot and reunite with an old friend under center.
49ers should stage reunion with Lions QB C.J. Beathard
Fans may recall quarterback C.J. Beathard, who quietly joined the Detroit Lions' practice squad not long ago.
Beathard, a third-round pick of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Iowa, spent his first four seasons in the league under Shanahan with San Francisco, ultimately starting 12 games during his tenure but primarily serving as a backup to a revolving door of signal-callers.
Following a term with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a backup, Beathard has more or less cemented his reputation as a reserve, albeit one who earned the respect from teammates for a willingness to absorb punishment and hard hits.
Heck, even The Athletic's Matt Barrows suggested Beathard as a top choice for the 49ers, should the need emerge:
""C.J. Beathard is on the Detroit Lions' practice squad," Barrows wrote. "The 49ers have already brought back 2017 acquisitions Robert Saleh and Kendrick Bourne. Why not do the same with Beathard?""
Getting the band back together, right?
Signing Beathard off Detroit's practice squad would mean the Niners would have to clear a spot for him on their active 53-man roster, and most players opt to ink such deals because of the substantial difference in pay.
The learning curve for the former Iowa signal-caller wouldn't be too steep, and there'd still be a handful of familiar faces on offense, now including Bourne but also fullback Kyle Juszczyk and even left tackle Trent Williams.
We'll see what happens with Purdy this week, but it wouldn't be surprising if Beathard ended up being a third-string contingency plan if the starter's injuries wind up being too problematic.
Hat tip toDavid Bonilla of 49ers Webzone for the find and transcription.