.jpg) Beathard with theSan Francisco 49ers in 2018 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 17 – Detroit Lions | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Practice squad | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1993-11-16)November 16, 1993 (age 32) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Battle Ground Academy (Franklin, Tennessee) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Iowa (2012–2016) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2017: 3rd round, 104th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||||||
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Casey Jarrett Beathard[1] (/ˈbɛθərd/BETH-ərd;[2] born November 16, 1993) is an American professionalfootballquarterback for theDetroit Lions of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theIowa Hawkeyes, and was selected by theSan Francisco 49ers in the third round of the2017 NFL draft.
Beathard attendedBattle Ground Academy inFranklin, Tennessee. He playedhigh school football for the Battle Ground Academy Wildcats.[3] After his high school football career, he committed to theUniversity of Iowa to playcollege football.[4]
Beathardredshirted during hisfreshman year atIowa.[5]
In the2013 season, Beathard appeared in a limited role in five games for the Hawkeyes. On September 21, he made his collegiate debut against theWestern Michigan Broncos, where he had a 54-yard completion and four rushes for 30 yards.[6] On November 9, against thePurdue Boilermakers, he had his first career collegiate touchdown on a five-yard rush.[7] He added another rushing touchdown in his next appearance against theNebraska Cornhuskers on a four-yard rush.[8] In theOutback Bowl against theLSU Tigers, he threw his first career touchdown pass to teammate Kevonte Martin-Manley in the fourth quarter of the 21–14 loss.[9] Overall, in the 2013 season, Beathard had 179 passing yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, 49 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns.[10]
Beathard continued his role as a backup in the2014 season. In the first half against thePittsburgh Panthers, starterJake Rudock suffered a minor injury and Beathard took the field to begin the second half, with the Hawkeyes trailing 17–7.[11] While Pitt had been dominant throughout much of the first half, the team gained a new energy in the second half with Beathard under center. Beathard would take the Hawkeyes to a 24–20 victory.[11]
After a last-minute loss to non-conference in-state rivalIowa State Cyclones,[12] who would eventually go 2–10 (winless in conference play),[13] fans in the community were vocal with their criticisms of the Iowa coaching staff, citing the conservative play calling, unused potential of players, and the apparent apathy ofhead coachKirk Ferentz. Ferentz was in his 16th year of coaching the Hawkeyes, and his contract as head coach was guaranteed until 2020, an extension offered after their2010 Orange Bowl victory against theGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets when the Hawkeyes finished their season 11–2. Iowa fans were impressed by Beathard's energy against Pitt, and his comeback victory sparked debate about his position as a starter.
Beathard started the following game against thePurdue Boilermakers, where Iowa won 24–10.[14] Following their bye week, Rudock was declared healthy by Ferentz, and returned as a starter against theIndiana Hoosiers, where they won 45–29.[15] Fan criticism of the program continued throughout the season, as the team continued to lose against the better part of their schedule.[15]
The criticism, informally called the "Iowa quarterback controversy", revolved primarily around Beathard being the deserving man of the starting spot, while some fervent fans called for the firing of Ferentz.[16] The public criticism of the coaching staff was so strong that Iowa athletic director [Gary Barta] spoke publicly on multiple occasions in support of Ferentz[17] in regards to the issue.
With Rudock at the helm for the remainder of the season, Iowa would go on to defeat theNorthwestern Wildcats by a surprisingly large margin in a 48–7 home victory but was defeated in an equally grand way at theMinnesota Golden Gophers the following week, losing 51–14.[18][19] TheWisconsin Badgers and theNebraska Cornhuskers, conference rivals and two of the toughest games on Iowa's 2014 schedule, came toKinnick Stadium in the final two games of the regular season. Wisconsin, with Heisman runner-up halfbackMelvin Gordon, avoided an upset and defeated Iowa 26–24; the Hawkeyes came up short against Nebraska as well, losing in overtime, 37–34, after blowing a 17-point lead.
Iowa received a bid to theTaxSlayer Bowl against theTennessee Volunteers, and pressure from fans and the media left the Iowa coaching staff uncertain and the need to make a solid decision. Beathard's father,Casey Beathard, made statements toThe Tennessean, a local Tennessee media outlet, stating that his future would be evaluated after the game, and that "he's hoping he doesn't have to transfer".[20] Though taken out of context by media, Beathard Sr. affirmed that it was not a threat of transfer;[21] regardless, Ferentz made an announcement shortly before gameday stating that both quarterbacks would take snaps during the game, hinting at an on-field competition for the spot.
Both Rudock and Beathard took snaps during theTaxSlayer Bowl, and the Hawkeyes lost 45–28 to Tennessee. The Volunteers got off to a large start; both Rudock and Beathard had poor drives during the first half, but Beathard handled the majority of second-half snaps. Beathard was able to rally the Hawkeyes from a 35–7 first-half deficit, though they were not able to win the game.[22]
Shortly after the TaxSlayer Bowl loss, Kirk Ferentz released a depth chart for the following 2015 season — a very irregular time for a coach to do so — which named Beathard the starting quarterback for the 2015 season.[23] Rudock, who in 2014 was a senior and preparing to graduate, had been being recruited by new Michigan coachJim Harbaugh; and, after Beathard was officially named next season's starter, Rudock transferred to theUniversity of Michigan for graduate study and for his one year of graduate eligibility.[24]
Beathard helped lead the2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team to an undefeated 12–0 record during the regular season, as he passed for 2,570 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions.[25] He was selected by both the coaches and media as a second-team player on the2015 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[26] The Hawkeyes' winning streak came to an end in the 16–13 loss to theMichigan State Spartans in the Big Ten Championship. Beathard passed for 216 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the loss.[27] In theRose Bowl against theStanford Cardinal, Beathard passed for 239 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the 45–16 loss.[28]
In his final season with the Hawkeyes, Beathard helped lead the team to an 8–4 record in the regular season.[29] The team qualified for theOutback Bowl against theFlorida Gators. The Gators won by a score of 30–3 in Beathard's final collegiate game.[30] Overall, in the 2016 season, Beathard had 1,929 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.[31]
| Iowa Hawkeyes | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||
| GP | GS | Record | Comp | Att | Yards | Pct | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |
| 2012 |  Redshirt | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | 0–0 | 9 | 27 | 179 | 33.3 | 1 | 2 | 86.4 | 13 | 49 | 3.8 | 2 |
| 2014 | 8 | 1 | 1–0 | 52 | 92 | 645 | 56.5 | 5 | 2 | 129.0 | 28 | 156 | 5.6 | 0 |
| 2015 | 14 | 14 | 12–2 | 223 | 362 | 2,809 | 61.6 | 17 | 5 | 139.5 | 100 | 237 | 2.4 | 6 |
| 2016 | 13 | 13 | 8–5 | 170 | 301 | 1,929 | 56.5 | 17 | 10 | 122.3 | 83 | −14 | −0.2 | 2 |
| Career | 40 | 28 | 21–7 | 447 | 759 | 5,507 | 58.9 | 40 | 19 | 129.8 | 224 | 429 | 1.9 | 10 |
Beathard played in the2017 Senior Bowl for the North team, and was limited to two passes for 4 passing yards as the North lost 15–16 to the South.[32] He attended theNFL Combine and performed thevertical jump,broad jump, and positional drills. Due to a hamstring injury, he opted to skip the40-yard dash,short shuttle, andthree-cone drill.[33] On March 27, 2017, Beathard participated at Iowa'spro day along withDesmond King,Jaleel Johnson,George Kittle,Riley McCarron,LeShun Daniels Jr.,Cole Croston,Faith Ekakitie, Anthony Gair, Jake Duzey and Ron Coluzzi. He performed the short shuttle, three-cone drill, vertical jump, broad jump, and passing drills for the team representatives and scouts who attended from all 32 NFL teams.[34] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Beathard was projected to be a sixth- or seventh-round pick byNFL draft experts and scouts.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m) | 219 lb (99 kg) | 30+5⁄8 in (0.78 m) | 9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.23 s | 6.95 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m) | 26[35] | ||||
| All values fromNFL Combine/Iowa'sPro Day[36][37][38][39] | ||||||||||||
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TheSan Francisco 49ers selected Beathard in the third round (104th overall) of the2017 NFL draft.[40] He was the sixth quarterback to be selected that year.[41] On June 12, 2017, Beathard signed his rookie contract, a four-year, $3.52 million with a signing bonus of $706,288.[42][43] He competed withMatt Barkley andNick Mullens throughout training camp for the job as the backup quarterback. Head coachKyle Shanahan named him the backup toBrian Hoyer to begin the regular season.[44]
On October 15, 2017, Beathard made his NFL debut against theWashington Redskins, replacing Hoyer in the second quarter. He played for the rest of the game. In the fourth quarter, he threw his first NFL touchdown, a 45-yard pass to wide receiverAldrick Robinson. He completed 19 of 36 passes for 245 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception as the 49ers narrowly lost on the road by a score of 26–24.[45] After the game, Beathard was named the 49ers starter.[46] In Week 7, in a 40–10 blowout loss to theDallas Cowboys, Beathard was 22-of-38 for 235 yards. In addition, he had 5 carries for 30 yards and his first rushing touchdown.[47] In Weeks 8 and 9, Beathard passed for 461 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions while also rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown against thePhiladelphia Eagles andArizona Cardinals. The 49ers won their first game of the season in Week 10 over theNew York Giants. In the 31–21 victory, Beathard completed 19 of 25 passes for 288 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception while also rushing for 15 yards and a touchdown. One of the touchdowns was for the longest play of his career, an 83-yard pass to wide receiverMarquise Goodwin.[48]
During the 49ers' Week 11 matchup at home to theSeattle Seahawks on November 26, Beathard suffered a leg and hip injury at the end of the 4th quarter and was replaced by recent trade acquisitionJimmy Garoppolo. Although he avoided any serious injury, it was Beathard's final appearance for the 49ers in the 2017 season as Garoppolo was promoted to be the starter a few days later.[49] Beathard finished his rookie season completing 123-of-224 passes (54.9%) for 1,430 yards, four touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns.[50] Several members of the 49ers have publicly complimented the attitude and toughness of Beathard during the season, as he was sacked 19 times in his 7 appearances.[51]
In 2018, the plan was for Beathard to be the backup to Garoppolo.[52] However, Garoppolo tore his ACL during a 38–27 Week 3 loss to theKansas City Chiefs, making Beathard the starter.[53] On September 30, in a 29–27 loss to theLos Angeles Chargers, Beathard connected with fellow Hawkeye alum tight-endGeorge Kittle for an 82-yard touchdown.[54] Beathard passed for 298 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions and also rushed for 19 yards.[55] In a Week 5 loss to theArizona Cardinals, he had a career-high 349 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions while also rushing for seven yards and a touchdown.[56] After playing in Week 8 against the Cardinals, Beathard suffered a wrist injury. Nick Mullens started the next game against theOakland Raiders in Beathard's place.[57] Beathard did not appear in any other games in the 2018 season.[58] Overall, Beathard finished his second professional season with 1,252 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions while also rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown.[59]
WithJimmy Garoppolo returning from injury andNick Mullens as the primary backup quarterback, Beathard saw no playing time in the 2019 season.[60]
In Week 4 of the 2020 season, Beathard came into the game against the Eagles in relief of Nick Mullens, who was benched. He finished 14 of 19 for 138 yards in the 25–20 loss.[61] In the next game against theMiami Dolphins, he relieved starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo during the second half after Garoppolo reinjured his ankle. During the game, Beathard threw for 94 yards and a touchdown during the 43–17 loss.[62] During Week 15 against theDallas Cowboys, Beathard entered the game after Mullens injured his elbow in the fourth quarter. In the game, Beathard threw for 100 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown toKendrick Bourne during the 41–33 road loss.[63]
On December 22, 2020, Beathard was named the starter for the 49ers' Week 16 matchup against theArizona Cardinals due to Mullens' injury.[64][65] In the game, Beathard threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns as the 49ers won on the road 20–12.[66][67] It was Beathard's second winning game in the NFL.[68]
On March 24, 2021, Beathard signed a two-year, $5 million deal with theJacksonville Jaguars.[69][70]
On February 24, 2023, Beathard signed a contract extension with the Jaguars.[71]
On December 4, 2023, Beathard took over in the fourth quarter against theCincinnati Bengals after starterTrevor Lawrence injured his ankle. He led the Jaguars down the field with less than 2:30 left in the fourth quarter, leading to a game-tying 40-yard field goal with 26 seconds left. In overtime, the Jaguars won the coin toss and chose to receive the ball, but were unable to get past their side of midfield and had to punt. The Bengals later kicked the game-winning field goal, winning 34–31 in overtime.[72]
On August 27, 2024, Beathard was released on an injury settlement by the Jaguars as part of final roster cuts.[73]
On October 22, 2024, due to injuries to starterTua Tagovailoa,[74] and back-upsSkylar Thompson[75] andTyler Huntley,[76] theMiami Dolphins signed Beathard to their practice squad.[77]
On November 6, 2024, Beathard was signed by the Jaguars off of the Dolphins' practice squad.[78]
On September 4, 2025, Beathard signed with theDetroit Lions' practice squad.[79]
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | SF | 7 | 5 | 1–4 | 123 | 224 | 54.9 | 1,430 | 6.4 | 83 | 4 | 6 | 69.2 | 26 | 136 | 5.2 | 16 | 3 | 19 | 141 | 3 | 2 |
| 2018 | SF | 6 | 5 | 0–5 | 102 | 169 | 60.4 | 1,252 | 7.4 | 82 | 8 | 7 | 81.8 | 19 | 69 | 3.6 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 156 | 5 | 3 |
| 2019 | SF | 0 | 0 | — | DNP | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | SF | 6 | 2 | 1–1 | 66 | 104 | 63.5 | 787 | 7.6 | 49 | 6 | 0 | 105.7 | 6 | 28 | 4.7 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 71 | 3 | 3 |
| 2021 | JAX | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 33 | 16.5 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 118.8 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | JAX | 4 | 0 | — | 7 | 11 | 63.6 | 35 | 3.2 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 30.5 | 4 | −4 | −1.0 | −1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | JAX | 7 | 1 | 1–0 | 40 | 53 | 75.5 | 349 | 6.6 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 98.7 | 8 | 35 | 4.4 | 19 | 0 | 6 | 27 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 32 | 13 | 3–10 | 340 | 563 | 60.4 | 3,886 | 6.9 | 83 | 19 | 14 | 82.1 | 64 | 266 | 4.2 | 19 | 4 | 53 | 400 | 12 | 8 | |
Beathard is the son ofcountry musicsongwriterCasey Beathard, the brother of country music singerTucker Beathard, the grandson of former NFL executiveBobby Beathard, who was aPro Football Hall of Famer and the great-nephew of former NFL quarterbackPete Beathard.[80]On December 21, 2019, Beathard's younger brother, Clay, the starting quarterback for theLIU Sharks, was fatally stabbed outside of a bar in Nashville, Tennessee.[81]
