Jimmy Garoppolo and newly signed quarterback Josh Rosen took scout-team repetitions in practices Wednesday and Thursday to prepare the 49ers’ defense to face Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals.
But coach Kyle Shanahan seemed particularly excited about the events at the team’s Tuesday session, though the experience left him with lingering soreness.
C.J. Beathard will start for the 49ers in their Week 16 game Saturday against the Cardinals. Nick Mullens sustained a significant elbow injury that is likely to require surgery.
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On Tuesday, before the practice window for Garoppolo was officially opened and before Rosen arrived from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad, Shanahan assigned the quarterback task to himself.
That’s right, for one practice this week, Shanahan played the part of the dual-threat Murray on the 49ers’ practice field outside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
“I have the quicks,” Shanahan said on 49ers Game Plan, which airs Friday at 9 p.m. on NBC Sports Bay Area. “I don’t have the arm. I don’t have the stamina, to tell you the truth.
"And the only reason I had the quicks was because it was a walk-through practice. I was the only one going full speed but no one could tell. And I’m way too sore from it.”
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Garoppolo was cleared to return to practice this week after being sidelined since Nov. 1 with his second high ankle sprain of the season. There appears to be no thought given toward suiting him up for the final two games of the season. He remains on the injured reserve list.
“He’s looked good,” Shanahan said of Garoppolo on the practice field. “Jimmy always does when he throws. But we’re trying to be smart with him. We didn’t give him too many of Kyler’s reps, where he had to run around and do stuff like that.
“But it’s how guys look a lot with high ankle sprains. They come back and they look fine. You wouldn’t know what’s wrong. And then they have to do a reaction and you see that something’s there. That’s why we’ve had to be smart with Jimmy.”
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