49ers starting quarterback Brian Hoyer has had a forgettable start to the 2017 season. In addition to losing his first two games, Hoyer has thrown head-scratching interceptions in both contests, and has failed to lead the 49ers offense into the end zone. Heading into Week 3, Hoyer has the third lowest ranking amongst the 34 NFL quarterbacks that have seen significant playing time, according to Pro Football Focus.
All of this has a contingent of 49ers fans clamoring for backup rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard, who the 49ers selected in the third round of the draft, and who impressed greatly during the preseason. Former Super Bowl winning head coach and 49ers assistant Mike Holmgren joined Gary & Larry on Thursday before San Francisco’s game against the Rams, and said that as long as they can protect him, he believes Beathard would benefit most from playing right now.
“With C.J. Beathard they drafted him high,” Holmgren said. “Obviously he’s a good college player and they like him. If they can’t score touchdowns now — and they haven’t in the first two ballgames — see what he can do. Put him in there. That would be my call.”
Holmgren believes that generally, young quarterbacks benefit from playing as early as possible, with a few notable exceptions.
“I thought a little differently about that than it seems people are thinking about it now. If you believe the young guy has a chance to be the guy, then playing accelerates his growth more than watching, as long as you can protect him. As long as you don’t get the stuffing knocked out of him. I use Jim Plunkett as an example. He got beat up so much early in his career that it affected him and then he fortunately came to the Raiders, rested and then cranked it up and got going. Alex Smith in San Francisco I think was put in a tough spot early on. But I think if you can protect him I think he learns faster by playing. If you can’t, let him watch knowing you’re going to make a change at some point.”
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Holmgren’s comments on the 49ers’ QBs, skip to the 7:20 mark.