49ers to finally move away from Jimmy Garoppolo
Jimmy Garoppolo’s time in San Francisco has been that of a crazy roller coaster ride. He’s gone from the franchise guy to backup, to starter again, to backup again, and so on and so on. Fans of the team seem to have mixed reactions regarding Garoppolo, though it now seems that his time in San Francisco is coming to an end. At least in the eyes of head coach Kyle Shanahan.
When asked about the possibility of a Garoppolo return Shanahan said, “I don’t see any scenario of that,” per 49ers NBCSports.
Midway through the season it seemed like Garoppolo had once again earned himself another year. Prior to his injury, he had the Niners playing their best football of the year on a four-game winning streak. But an ankle injury against the Dolphins once again sidelined Garoppolo and opened the door for Brock Purdy.
It’s safe to say Purdy took the opportunity and ran with it. He came in and won five straight games as the starter while throwing 13 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He quickly showed that he can lead this potent offense and created a clear quarterback battle in the Bay Area.
But, unfortunately, in the NFC Championship game, Purdy injured his elbow via a UCL tear. He is expected to at least miss six months and many wonder if he will ever be able to get back to full strength.
And of course, we can’t forget about Trey Lance, former third overall pick. He broke his ankle way back in Week 2 and it’s still unclear if he will be the franchise guy.
With two quarterbacks coming off serious injuries, many would think that having a guy like Garoppolo wouldn’t be such a bad idea. You would be able to pay him much less than you were before, and he could truly adopt his role as the backup.
Say what you want about Garoppolo and his ability, but the one thing he has always done is win. Sure, he’s had some great pieces around him but a 38-17 record while there isn’t something to ignore.
It sounds like the Niners don’t want to go down the road of a veteran backup. They seem content with the quarterback duo they have right now and don’t feel the need to pay the likes of Garoppolo. They believe that Lance should be 100 percent ready by OTAs.
What is next for Garoppolo?
Well, Garoppolo is sure to draw interest from some teams. Although he has an extensive injury history, he is still only 31 and has shown he can win football games. The Jets have reportedly been in contact with him, but there are obviously many other teams who will be in the market for a quarterback of Garoppolo’s caliber.
A team like the Colts is always a possibility — we know Irsay loves his washed quarterbacks. But regardless of where he ends up, I think we can all agree that his time in San Francisco has been quite weird. He leaves with a record of 38-17 and a 2:1 career touchdown-to-interceptions ratio, and was a throw away from winning the Niners a Super Bowl.
But despite all this, he was never able to fully earn the support of the Bay Area faithful, in large part due to his inability to win the big game and put the team on his back. It became a never-ending cycle of fans not knowing if they should love or hate Garoppolo.
But it appears now that this toxic cycle is over. The Niners want to fully invest in their future and keeping a guy like Jimmy Garoppolo hinders that. Both Lance and Purdy will constantly be wondering if their jobs are in danger and overall hinder their growth.
This gives a clean break to both sides and allows both parties to make decisions that better their situations. Some team will probably overpay Garoppolo, and he will spend the rest of his career as a backup/spot starter, while the Niners will get to fully invest in two quarterbacks they view as the future of the team.
Overall, a much-needed breakup that should benefit both parties, but man, were there some crazy memories.
***
Subscribe to our YouTube!!
Check out our merch!!
