SANTA CLARA — Nick Mullens was the first 49ers quarterback on the field in their preseason opener Saturday night, but coach Kyle Shanahan warns to not read anything into that.
According to Shanahan, the competition for who will be Jimmy Garoppolo’s backup still is to be determined.
While Mullens received the first reps in the 49ers' 17-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys, C.J. Beathard will be the first to follow Garoppolo next week against the Denver Broncos.
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SIGN UP HERE “Yeah, Jimmy should be ready to go next week, but we’ll let C.J. go ahead of Nick for the second game,” Shanahan said.
“Just, we had to pick, so Nick went first," the coach added. "He was the last one to finish the season, so …”
Shanahan saw positive play from both of his backups, but he also sees room from improvement.
“I thought both of them made some good plays, but I thought both of them definitely had one really bad play,” Shanahan said. “Thought that they [each] threw a pick that was pretty easy to see.”
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Shanahan detailed Mullens' interception, and then followed with a description of Beathard’s miscue.
“The backside linebacker got it in zone, and I think it was C.J., a robber safety came down and got him," Shanahan said. "They both should have saw. After that, I thought both of them played pretty well while under a lot of duress, too.”
When Shanahan was asked if there was a clear separation between the two after one game, he succinctly replied, “No.”
Mullens finished the day completing 11 of his 17 attempts for 105 yards. Beathard had comparable statistics, connecting on 13 of his 17 passes for 141 yards. Each quarterback threw one touchdown pass and one interception.
Beathard gave a simple take on the game.
“I thought it went well, other than the interception -- dumb decision there,” Beathard said. “But other than that, I thought it went really well.”
Mullens also had a positive view of the team’s preseason debut.
“I thought it was a solid start,” Mullens said. "Obviously, you want to eliminate turnovers, but at the same time, I think we developed a rhythm eventually, and put the ball in the right spot. I was accurate for the most part, and everybody did their job well. Ran the ball, threw the ball and protected well. It’s a good step for the first preseason game."
The two quarterbacks have become close, and don't plan to let the competition affect their bond.
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“Who knows?” Mullens said. “Me and C.J. are great friends. We have a great relationship, and we both understand the business, and we are basically just doing what we’re told. 'Nick, it’s your turn to play. C.J., it’s your turn to play.’ And so that’s what we do.
"We battle and we support each other, and it’s been great so far.”