QB hitting stride ahead of 1st home start
Kyle Shanahan played along with Jimmy Garoppolo, and why not? Everyone else seems to be following the quarterback’s lead these days.
“We’re going to keep Tennessee guessing also,” the head coach said of his quarterback choice for the 49ers’ next game. “They’ll find out Sunday at kickoff.” Cute. A day after Garoppolo led the 49ers to a 10-point victory in Houston and joked that he hadn’t been told whether he’d be the starter in the Tennessee game at Levi’s Stadium, Shanahan said, “I think he knows the answer. I think he was just playing along with it, as I am also.”
Garoppolo is simply the biggest story on the roster, the main reason the 49ers turned from a 1-10 laughingstock to a winner in back-to-back weeks, the force behind the team’s new upbeat vibe.
So, yeah, he’ll be the man Sunday, making his first home start with the 49ers.
The Titans are 8-5 after an ugly 12-7 loss at Arizona, dropping a game out of first place in the AFC South, and need a win to still feel good about their playoff chances. They finish against the Rams and Jaguars, who happen to be the 49ers’ final two opponents, too.
At his Monday news conference in Santa Clara, Shanahan said there was more familiarity Sunday between him and Garoppolo than the previous game against the Bears, when Garoppolo made his first 49ers start in a 15-14 victory.
“The Chicago game was a good first experience,” Shanahan said. “This game was even easier. I had a better idea of how he handles some situations. He had an idea of how I call plays and how I go through a game. We were both better in that aspect of the game.”
Shanahan and Garoppolo, who was acquired from New England in late October and completed 20 of 33 passes for a career-high 334 yards Sunday, certainly appear to have a solid relationship. But as much praise as Shanahan heaps on the quarterback, the 49ers aren’t hurrying to sign Garoppolo to a long-term contract.
Asked about negotiating a deal before season’s end, Shanahan said, “We would not be anticipating that.” The coach had suggested a one-year franchise tag was possible for Garoppolo (at roughly $25 million), giving the 49ers all next season to evaluate him.
“For me personally, it doesn’t impact anything,” Shanahan said. “That’s what I thought was so neat about the situation, that I didn’t feel, because of that option, that we had to see something here or there and had to do all this stuff.
“Obviously, we’re very encouraged with how these two games have been. We’ll see what happens in the offseason when we can get together and assess everything.” Briefly: An MRI exam on Ahkello Witherspoon’s knee showed a sprain, and Shanahan said the cornerback has a chance to play Sunday . ... It’s uncertain whether tackle Trent Brown, who missed the Houston game with a shoulder injury, will be available Sunday . ... Tackle Joe Staley is one of eight finalists for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. The winner will be announced the day before the Super Bowl.