Who is C.J. Beathard? Meet the Jaguars backup QB set to start with Trevor Lawrence out after ankle injury

When the Jaguars selected Trevor Lawrence first overall in 2021, the team knew it was getting a franchise quarterback. So far, he has been exactly what was expected, as he has developed into a legitimate NFL star just three years into his career, helping turn Jacksonville's organization around. 

However, injuries are bound to happen in the NFL, and for the first time in his young career, Lawrence has been hit by the bug. The Jaguars quarterback suffered an ankle injury on Monday night, leaving the rest of his 2023 season in potential doubt. 

The Jaguars had a chance at claiming the top spot in the AFC with a win over the Bengals in prime time, but it was not in the cards, as Jake Browning led Cincinnati to an overtime win in Jacksonville. The loss dropped Doug Pederson's team to 8-4 on the year, good for fourth in the conference. 

Jacksonville is still in first place in the AFC South, but Houston and Indianapolis are right behind at 7-5. That leaves the fate of not only the division, but of the Jaguars' season potentially in the hands of backup QB C.J. Beathard. 

The 30-year-old is in his third season with the Jags after starting his NFL career with the 49ers. He has experience as a starter in the NFL, albeit a small sample size. The extent of Lawrence's injury is not yet known, but Duval may very well have to rally around Beathard for the rest of 2023. 

MORE: How long is Trevor Lawrence out?

Here is more information on Beathard, his college career and his NFL experience. 

C.J. Beathard NFL stats

San Francisco 49ers

Beathard began his career in the Bay Area after the 49ers drafted him in 2017. He beat out Matt Barkley and Nick Mullens for the backup role to Brian Hoyer in his rookie season, and eventually won the starting role in mid-October. 

He made five starts for San Francisco before he hurt his leg and hip during Week 11. The 49ers then turned to Jimmy Garoppolo, who they had acquired from the Patriots earlier in the season. While Beathard's injuries weren't serious, Garoppolo started the rest of the season. 

The next year, Beathard was expected to be the backup to Garoppolo for 2018. However, Garoppolo tore his ACL in Week 3, forcing Beathard back into the starting role. He led the 49ers' offense until Week 8, when he suffered a wrist injury during a game against the Cardinals. Mullens was named the starter next year and remained in the role for the rest of the campaign. 

In 2019, he was the third-string QB behind Garoppolo and Mullens. He did not see any playing time that season. 

His final year with San Francisco came in 2020. His role changed throughout the season, as injuries to Mullens and Garoppolo allowed Beathard to make six appearances and two starts, both coming late in the year. 

Beathard ended his time in San Francisco making 12 starts in 19 appearances. He finished with a record of 2-10 while completing 58.6% of his passes for 3,469 yards, 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Beathard left the 49ers in free agency during the 2021 offseason, and signed a two-year, $5 million deal. A couple of months later, the Jaguars selected Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, setting Beathard up for a backup role with the team. 

In his first year in Jacksonville, Beathard made just two appearances, both in late-game situations with the score out of hand. The same trend followed in 2022, as Beathard made just four appearances in relief of Lawrence. 

MORE: How Jaguars' loss to Bengals affects AFC playoff picture

Prior to his cameo in Week 13, Beathard had only appeared in four games for the Jaguars in 2023, completing three of his four pass attempts for 14 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions. He entered into the Monday night contest against the Bengals and finished that contest with nine completions on 10 attempts for 63 yards. 

C.J. Beathard college stats

After a successful high school career at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tenn., Beathard enrolled at Iowa. After redshirting the 2012 season, the quarterback played for four seasons with the Hawkeyes. 

He saw limited action in 2013, getting into five games as the backup to Jake Rudock.

In 2014, Beathard was at the helm of major controversy surrounding the position. After leading Iowa to a win over Pitt in relief of an injured Rudock, and then a win over Purdue, fans felt that Beathard was deserving of the starting role over Rudock. However, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz started Rudock the remainder of the season. At the end of the 2014 season, Beathard was declared the starter for Iowa, resulting in Rudock transferring to Michigan.

During the 2015 season, Beathard led the Hawkeyes to an undefeated 12-0 record before falling in the Big Ten title game to Michigan. Iowa played in the Rose Bowl that year against Stanford, losing to the Cardinal. In 14 total games, he passed for 2,570 yards, 14 touchdowns and three picks and was voted as a second-team member of the 2015 All-Big Ten Conference football team. 

The team did not repeat the same success in 2016 as it did in 2015. Beathard's numbers took a slight hit as Iowa went 8-4 that season. 

C.J. Beathard draft

Beathard was selected 104th overall in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the 49ers. 

He was the sixth QB taken in the draft class. Those signal callers taken ahead of him were Mitch Trubisky (No. 2), Patrick Mahomes (No. 10), Deshaun Watson (No. 12), DeShone Kizer (No. 52) and Davis Webb (No. 87). 

C.J. Beathard age

Beathard is 30 years old. He was born on Nov. 16, 1993. 

The 2023 NFL season marks Beathard's seventh in the league.