Robert King Beathard Jr. (/ˈbɛθərd/ BETH-ərd;^[1] January 24, 1937 – January 30, 2023) was an American football executive who was the general manager for the National Football League (NFL)'s Washington Redskins (1978–1988) and San Diego Chargers (1990–2000). His teams won four Super Bowls and competed in three others during his 38 years in the NFL, doing so with the Kansas City Chiefs (1966), Miami Dolphins (1972 and 1973), Redskins (1982, 1983, and 1987), and the Chargers (1994). Beathard was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

Beathard was born in Zanesville, Ohio, before moving to El Segundo, California, at the age of four. He attended El Segundo High School but did not begin playing football until his sophomore year, as a tailback. In college, he accepted a scholarship to play football for LSU, but returned home after summer practices after feeling homesick. He then enrolled at El Camino Junior College for a year before enrolling at Cal Poly, where he played football as a back-up running back and later the starting quarterback and defensive back, leading Cal Poly to back-to-back 9–1 seasons. He went undrafted in 1959 and had pre-season stints with two professional teams, but was unable to find a spot, spending his early post-college years playing semi-pro football and working various non-football jobs.^[2]

Beathard resided with his wife Christine in Franklin, Tennessee.^[8] Beathard's younger brother, Pete Beathard, was a quarterback at USC, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Oilers. One of Beathard's sons, Casey Beathard, is a country music songwriter.^[9] His other son, Kurt Beathard, is a football coach, formerly the offensive coordinator for Illinois State.^[10][11] His grandson, Jeffery "Bobo" Beathard, played four years at Appalachian State University as a wide receiver; while other grandsons, C. J. Beathard and Tucker Beathard, are a quarterback and a singer-songwriter respectively. Another of Beathard's grandsons, Clayton Beathard, was fatally stabbed in a bar fight in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2019.^[12]

Beathard participated in the 1984 New York City Marathon.^[13] From 2005 to 2009, Beathard was a consecutive 5 time first place winner in the men's age 65 and over group at the World Bodysurfing Championships held annually in Oceanside, California.^[14] Beathard was inducted into the Cal Poly Mustangs Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988.^[15] He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Chargers Hall of Fame in 2018.^[16][17] Beathard died on January 30, 2023, from Alzheimer's disease at his home in Franklin, Tennessee.^[18]