San Francisco 49ers Players Upset With Fans for Cheering While C.J. Beathard Was Hurt
San Francisco 49ers fans just couldn't hide their excitement when they saw Jimmy Garoppolo warm up before he entered the game during the final moments of last Sunday's 24–13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
However, C.J. Beathard was still down on the turf with a left knee injury when they started cheering and some of the 49ers players thought it was disrespectful.
"People don't understand what we through as football players and what our bodies go through," safety Eric Reid said, via NBC Sports. "And he's laying down on the ground and people are cheering. That's messed up," he continued.
49ers linebacker Reuben Foster chimed in as well.
"I was disappointed in them when they were cheering. Our fans are better than that," Foster said. "I have to wait and make sure my brother on the ground is (OK) before I cheer for Jimmy. I'm going to cheer for my brother when he gets off the ground because he's all right. And then I'm going to cheer for Jimmy," he added.
Well, Reid and Foster have to understand that the fans have waited weeks to see Garoppolo make his debut and they were just excited to see him in action. Of course, they weren't cheering because Beathard got hurt.
In any case, Beathard was diagnosed with a knee bruise and a hip strain. The injuries don't seem to be serious, but he probably won't be seeing much action in the coming weeks because Garoppolo is getting his first start as a member of the 49ers this Sunday when they travel to Chicago to take on the Bears.
According to ESPN, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made the decision on Tuesday after he met with the two quarterbacks.
Beathard has had a good run after he took over from Brian Hoyer, but now it's Garoppolo's turn to run the first-team offense.