Former 49ers QB sneakily joins Detroit Lions practice squad
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard was without a home for the entire offseason but was sneakily picked up by the Detroit Lions and added to their practice squad where he will be the team's third-string quarterback.
Fans will remember Beathard from his days with the Niners. He was selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft and made some starts for San Francisco over the course of the next few seasons. He had some decent games, but it became clear the 49ers reached a bit on selecting him so early as he always had the talent of a backup rather than a starter.
Still, it has been interesting to track the trajectory of his career ever since he left the Bay Area. He has spent time as a backup with the Jacksonville Jaguars and was on the practice squad of the Miami Dolphins for a time.
He last saw playing time in 2023 with the Jags when he completed 40 of 53 passes for 349 passing yards and one touchdown pass with no interceptions. He has done enough in his career to warrant a team like the Detroit Lions taking a chance on him.
A reunion between Beathard and the 49ers seemed like a distinct possibility during the preseason when it became clear just how inadequate Tanner Mordecai and Carter Bradley were as backup options, which led to them both being cut.
The University of Iowa product knows San Francisco's offense and even trained with Brock Purdy and George Kittle in the offseason so it seemed like he could be a convenient option to add to the team, but the Niners ended up signing Adrian Martinez instead.
Unfortunately, who the third quarterback option is has now become somewhat important given the recent injury news surrounding Purdy, which has left his status for Week 2 in doubt. One hopes that Purdy will be fine, but Mac Jones may have to start, which could mean Martinez will be the backup.
Beathard will almost certainly not get any playing time this year, but who knows? With how bad the injury bug is already biting San Francisco, he may end up rejoining his old team at some point this year if guys keep dropping like flies.
Dodgers Predicted to Sign Top MLB Free Agent After 2025 Season
Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman
The Los Angeles Dodgers have notoriously been one of the top spenders in MLB for several years now. They showed that at the beginning of 2025, they signed many top free agents to improve their roster.
However, that has not led them to become the juggernaut team many analysts and executives thought they would be. Los Angeles is 79-64 and will likely not reach the 90-win mark with just 20 games left this regular season.
Whatever the Dodgers do in the postseason, one MLB Insider believes they will sign the top free agent after 2025.
Dodgers Predicted to Sign Kyle Tucker
The Chicago Cubs’ slugger is having a rough last two months of the season, but is still considered the top free agent.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale believes it will be to the Los Angeles Dodgers:
“Rival executives still believe he’ll be the highest-paid player in free agency,” Bob Nightengale reported Monday. “Their prediction where he’ll land? The Dodgers, who badly could use outfield help.”
The Dodgers could use outfield help, but signing Tucker to say, $400 million would put them far over the luxury tax. But it would address a much-needed positional issue. Los Angeles signed Michael Conforto to a one-year, $17 million deal before the season, and he has looked like a massive bust the entire season.
Conforto still isn’t above the .200 average mark, despite playing in 124 games. His OPS is 77, well below league average. The Dodgers also traded for left fielder Alex Call back in July, and he hasn’t had much production either. Signing Kyle Tucker in free agency is right up the Dodgers’ wheelhouse.
Although Tucker has struggled for the past few months, he’s still had a solid season. Kyle Tucker still has 22 home runs and an OPS+ of 140.
Kyle Tucker Has So Many Accolades As a Player
Bleacher Report recently came out with a prediction piece about Kyle Tucker’s free agency, and it showed how tenured he is as a player:
“After all, Tucker’s resume includes a World Series title, four All-Star selections, a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove. He led the league in RBI in 2023 when he was with the Houston Astros and has hit more than 20 home runs in each of the last five seasons. While he hasn’t been himself since the All-Star break with a .242 batting average, five home runs and 17 RBI, some of that can be explained by injury concerns. And he still has solid overall numbers this season with a .270/.381/.472 slash line, 22 home runs and 73 RBI. Tucker is also just 28 years old, which is another reason he will surely command a significant deal this offseason.”
The next question is how much the Dodgers would pay him, and that will be up to Tucker’s agent.
Fans of other MLB teams would not be happy with the Dodgers making a big-money signing like this, but it would put a lot of pressure on the Cubs to attempt to dish out a higher AAV contract. Tucker’s free agency will be one of the highest-anticipated events this offseason.
