49ers try out backup quarterbacks; Colin Kaepernick not among them

SANTA CLARA - Jimmy Garoppolo’s season indeed is over, and his job as the 49ers’ starting quarterback now returns to C.J. Beathard, who went 1-4 last season as a rookie starter before Jimmy G’s arrival.

Several quarterbacks were scheduled to audition Tuesday for a potential backup role, and the preliminary list included former NFL starters Tom Savage, Kellen Clemens, T.J. Yates and Matt Moore.

That list did not include former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Asked if the 49ers discussed re-signing Kaepernick, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said: “No. There was (discussion) last year. I made that decision just because of the style of offense we wanted to go with. That’s what I said last year and it’s kind of the same situation now.

“I always look into what style of offense I want to do, what style of offense we’ve been doing the last two years,” Shanahan added. “C.J. is our guy and we have Nick Mullens backing him up. When you get to a third and fourth guy, whoever that is, you’d like to bring in guys you felt you don’t have to change your offense for.”

Garoppolo’s knee buckled as he scrambled down the left sideline with 5:27 remaining in a 38-27 defeat Sunday at Kansas City. Sacked on the two previous plays, he was flushed from the pocket on third-and-goal and raced 13 yards to the 7-yard line, where, rather than go out of bounds as quarterbacks are coached to do, he endured a helmet-to-helmet hit by cornerback Steven Nelson.

So ended Garoppolo’s fifth NFL season. Traded to the 49ers last Oct. 30 after a 3½-season tenure with the New England Patriots, he went 5-0 as their December starter, prompting the 49ers to sign him on Feb. 8 to what then was the richest contract in NFL history (five years, $137.5 million).

Well wishes for Garoppolo poured in from across the NFL.

“I saw it on the way to the (Patriots-Lions) game and feel terrible for him,” Tom Brady said Monday on Boston radio’s WEEI. “It’s a tough injury. I feel bad for Jimmy, and it’s football. Things happen like that. I’ve been through an ACL.

“It sucks. You hate to see people go down, and he is someone I really like and have been friends with since the day he got here. It just sucks to have to go through that.”

Raiders coach Jon Gruden opened his Monday press conference by noting: “Just sick to hear about Jimmy Garoppolo. I wish him the best in his recovery. Hate hearing that.”

Garoppolo not only elevated his teammates’ on-field capabilities, he revitalized a frustrated fan base, so much so that the 49ers gave out Garoppolo bobblehead dolls at last week’s home-opening win over the Detroit Lions.

Garoppolo, 26, took a beating through three games, getting sacked 13 times, including six in that win over the Lions. He completed 59.6 percent of his passes (53-of-89) for 718 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions for a 90.0 passer rating. In last December’s starts, he had a 67.4 completion percentage, a 96.2 passer rating and seven touchdowns vs. five interceptions.

Beathard, a third-round pick from Iowa, served as a go-between starter last season, replacing Brian Hoyer after an 0-6 start and going 1-4 before Garoppolo took over in December. Beathard’s 69.2 passer rating was the 49ers’ lowest since 2004 (Ken Dorsey, 62.4). But he won over teammates with his ability to shake off big hits in the pocket (19 sacks).

Said Shanahan: “We threw him into a tough situation and he got the crap beat out of him a bunch, and never flinched ... I know guys do believe in C.J. I don’t have to convince them of that. That’s a good thing.”

“It’s huge having already played last year in six games,” Beathard said after Sunday’s game. “That helps me going forward. Second time around, I think it will be a little easier.”

Beathard has yet to play an official down this season. He threw a touchdown pass to George Kittle upon replacing Garoppolo on Sunday but that play got nullified by a pass-interference penalty.

Three weeks ago, the 49ers were reeling from the loss of another offensive stalwart to an ACL tear: running back Jerick McKinnon, who tore his in a non-contact drill at practice Sept. 1. Now McKinnon and Garoppolo will team together in their rehabs.

Garoppolo’s injury wasn’t the only news in that area for the 49ers coming out of the Kansas City game.

Cornerback Richard Sherman will miss a few weeks with a strained left calf that Shanahan said is not related to offseason surgery that removed bone spurs from that leg. Sherman also had to rehabilitate a ruptured Achilles in his right leg this offseason. He came out after four series against the Chiefs and left the locker room in an orthopedic boot.

Running back Matt Breida hyperextended his knee and has calf soreness, so he will be questionable this week. Breida shares the NFL’s rushing lead with Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott. Alfred Morris, who’s platooned with Breida, briefly went out in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury and will be rechecked today.