C.J. Beathard is on call for the Jaguars with Trevor Lawrence's status listed as day-to-day
Jaguars backup quarterback C.J. Beathard has appeared in four games, played 12 snaps and completed 5 of 6 passes for 39 yards in the last two seasons.
He may get more of a workload on Sunday when the Jags play at the Tennessee Titans (1 p.m., CBS) in Nashville. But such is the life of an NFL second-team quarterback: he has to be ready to play anywhere from a moment's to a week's notice.
"The process is the same because as a backup you're one play away," he said on Wednesday after taking all of the first-team reps in practice.
With the announcement on Wednesday by coach Doug Pederson that Trevor Lawrence wouldn't practice and would be day-to-day all week with a sprained toe on his left foot, there is a possibility that Beathard will get his first regular-season start as a Jaguar against the Titans.
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Pederson, who was a career backup in the NFL, biding his time behind stars such as Dan Marino, Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb, knows that routine well: practicing, watching video, attending quarterback meetings -- in short, everything except playing.
Until it's time to play.
If that happens -- and Pederson said he remains optimistic Lawrence can play -- he said he has faith that Beathard, a six-year veteran, will rise to the occasion.
"My confidence level is high," he said. "What he's shown ... he's a veteran guy. He's been in these situations before in his career so it's not unfamiliar territory to him. He's well-versed in the offense and [I have] a lot of confidence in him."
Pederson has backups ready
Pederson has had a second-team quarterback ready to go in the past, and it resulted in a Super Bowl ring with Philadelphia. When Carson Wentz went down for the season in 2017 with three games to go, Nick Foles stepped in and played lights-out, leading the Eagles to a 6-1 record in games in which he played -- the last three in the post-season.
The Jaguars are barely on the fringes of playoff contention and Lawrence's injury is not a season-ender. But Pederson knows how to navigate an injury to a team's QB1.
"We had that in Philly ... everywhere I've been," he said. "I was one of those backup guys so I know, I know the role."
Beathard said the key is to have a process in place that doesn't require much adjustment. For example, how much time he will put watching video of the Titans.
"You've go to watch the same amount of film," he said. "It's not like, 'oh, I'm starting to watch more film.' You should be watching enough film that if something were to happen to [Lawrence] in a game, you should be able to pick up right there."
The main difference is getting more first-team reps in the practices in which Lawrence will be held out.
Beathard good fit for the offense
"I love working with those guys," Beathard said. "We've got a ton of talent out there. I like the way this offense flows. The run game works together with the play-action game and the drop-back pass ... all the motions. It almost reminds me of when I was in San Francisco, a lot of movement, a lot of motions almost every single play. It really gives the defenses a hard time."
Another thing that doesn't change is the working relationship between Beathard and Lawrence.
"Me and C.J. have a great relationship," Lawrence said. "He prepares every week like he's a starter. He knows the plan inside and out. We talk about stuff, he brings stuff to me throughout the week, 'hey, this call' or whatever the play is, this could be an issue, let's get a check for that.' He's done it the whole season and he's always really prepared."
Beathard also has the respect of his teammates on the basis of the work he's put in with the Jags and four prior years of NFL experience when he played 19 games and started 12 for the 49ers from 2017-2020 after a career at Iowa that included being named the team's offensive MVP as a junior and second-team All-Big Ten.
"He's played a lot of games," center Luke Fortner said. "We have all the confidence in him. He's a great dude and a great player."
Fortner said the only adjustment would be Beathard's heavy Tennessee drawl.
"Honestly, that accent is the only thing, his cadence," Fortner said with a smile. "We'll have to listen a little harder."
The Niners drafted Beathard in the third round. He got his most extensive playing time as a rookie, throwing for 1,430 yards and four touchdowns.
Beathard is also mobile, with 234 yards rushing and four TDs as a pro.
He had an up-and-down preseason. Beathard suffered a groin injury on the final play of OTAs, was held out at the beginning of training camp, and then played in two of the four preseason games, completing 10 of 17 passes for 86 yards in 35 total snaps.
Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' C.J. Beathard on call with Trevor Lawrence listed as day-to-day
