The San Francisco 49ers will have a different starting quarterback this weekend when they take on the Arizona Cardinals.

Nick Mullens, who has started eight games for San Francisco this season, suffered an elbow injury in the 49ers’ 41-33 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He will be out this week, so head coach Kyle Shanahan said C.J. Beathard will start.

The story said Mullens is 2-6 as a starter but Beathard is 1-9 as a starter in his career and has not won a game since 2017. He has had limited work in four games this season. He has completed 28-of-45 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns. In 17 career games, he has 14 career touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.

Heading into the contest, Brandon Aiyuk had played one game in the last month and the thought was that he’d have fresh legs against the Bills. Nick Mullens targeted him nine times and Aiyuk finished with five catches for 95 yards, including a rare — for the 49ers — deep ball down the sideline for 49 yards.

How rare was it? According to the NFL’s NextGen stats, the ball traveled 54.1 yards in the air. That ranks in the middle of the pack among NFL long balls but is the longest completed throw in terms of air yards by a 49ers quarterback this season. Jimmy Garoppolo had a completion that traveled 43.1 yards earlier this season. Garoppolo had one of 57.2 yards — to Emmanuel Sanders against the Saints — last season.

Aiyuk also drew a pass-interference penalty on a deep ball on the 49ers’ opening drive that flipped the field position and indirectly led to the 49ers’ first score — a 2-yard pass to Aiyuk. Reports said Aiyuk is more of a pure receivers vs. Deebo Samuel who is also used a lot in sweeps and gadget plays. Aiyuk could be worth a grab if he's still on your wire.

The 49ers have been without start tight end George Kittle and starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for the last month, but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.

“I’m holding out hope for Jimmy for the last couple of weeks,” San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said, via Cam Inman of The Mercury News. “Same with Kittle. I think they’re in a similar boat, but that I mean that’s not guaranteed.”

Related players: Nick Mullens, Jordan Reed

Kittle is a name to pay attention to especially. If he's popped up on your waiver wire, you may want to take a shot on picking up a potential stud if you're planning a deep playoff run. Kittle can be stashed on IR until the timeline becomes more clear. If the 9ers are able to make the playoffs, it seems like both players may have a shot to be back by then.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Friday that QB Nick Mullens is "firmly" the starter. The 49ers also signed QB Josh Johnson to their practice squad.

Related Player: C.J. Beathard

Mullens was pretty bad Thursday night against the Packers, but not much could be expected with seven vital offensive players missing the game. This is a situation to monitor in Superflex leagues as the 49ers QB should have a bevy of offensive playmakers returning in the next few weeks.

Kyle Shanahan said Jimmy Garoppolo had a whole new high ankle sprain on the same foot.

Related players: Nick Mullens, C.J. Beathard

Shanahan said it’s 4 to 6 weeks, according to the rest of the tweet. Maiocco added this is worse than the last high ankle sprain Jimmy G suffered. Surgery is an option and if he needs surgery, he'll be out for the rest of the year the tweet went on to say. Mullens gets the start Thursday night against the Packers but isn't necessarily a safe, longer term pickup.

49ers’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be sidelined indefinitely with his high ankle sprain, source tells ESPN.

Related players: Nick Mullens, C.J. Beathard

Schefter went on to say the 49ers feel he needs time to rest an injury that has bothered him since Week 2. Mullens took over for Garoppolo on Sunday and would be expected to again. Beathard came into the game after Mullens started and was pulled against the Eagles a few weeks ago.

Coach Kyle Shanahan left the door open to more movement there, after backup Nick Mullens was benched in favor of third-stringer C.J. Beathard late in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles.

Related players: Jimmy Garoppolo

The 49ers are holding out some hope Garoppolo can return from his high-ankle sprain this week, which could make the rest of the depth chart a moot point, the story said.

49ers QB Nick Mullens will start Sunday, according to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury. Jimmy Garoppolo will miss Week 4 with a high ankle sprain.

Mullens will have a nearly-healthy receiving corps and more than capable running backs at his disposal. He is an auto-play in 2QB leagues.