Relief for 49ers fans: Garoppolo looks ready to go
“I always think it’s a positive step when you
practice Wednesday and you come back feeling a little better on Thursday.” John Lynch, 49ers GM, speaking about Jimmy Garoppolo on KNBR
Last week, 49ers fans were asking this: When can Jimmy Garoppolo return?
This week, they are asking this: When can Jimmy Garoppolo return?!!!
There is more urgency, of course, because Garoppolo’s popular and productive replacement, Nick Mullens, lost some shine after he lost a fumble and threw two interceptions in Sunday’s 2520 upset loss to the Eagles.
So to answer what’s become a more pressing question: It appears Garoppolo will return Sunday when the 49ers host the Dolphins.
On Thursday, Garoppolo passed the eye test during the first 20 minutes of practice that were open to the media. He jogged without any visible sign of an issue with his sprained right ankle. And when he threw during individual drills, he did so by planting firmly on the ankle that was injured Sept. 20 in a win over the Jets.
On Wednesday, before Garoppolo practiced for the first time since his injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he’d know more about his ability to play against the Dolphins after seeing him on the field.
Shanahan didn’t speak with the media Thursday to offer his assessment, but general manager John Lynch provided an optimistic outlook. Garoppolo, who has been limited in both practices, continued to feel improvement after testing his ankle Wednesday.
“I always think it’s a positive step when you practice Wednesday and you come back feeling a little better on Thursday,” Lynch
said on KNBR. “That’s typically a good sign when you don’t regress and instead you’re making progress. And I think that was the case today. ... I think there’s been a lot of positive signs.”
Lynch did note the difference between being able to get through a practice and survive an NFL game.
“There are big men coming at the quarterback,” Lynch said. “That’s their job and so you have to be able to move, perform and be capable of keeping yourself healthy. So all those things will go into the evaluation. But there have been some good signs this week.”
Shanahan has determined if Mullens or C. J. Beathard will start if Garoppolo remains sidelined, but Shanahan said he won’t disclose that information publicly before the game. The reality is there aren’t significant stylistic differences between the three dropback quarterbacks. Garoppolo and Beathard possess the stronger arms.
Miami head coach Brian Flores said the plan was to prepare for Shanahan’s scheme rather than a specific QB.
“We watch them all and you always prepare for the system ( and) Kyle is a very innovative playcaller,” Flores said. “… But yeah, we prepare for all of them, or try to at least.”
Flores has plenty of familiarity with Garoppolo. Flores was on the Patriots’ staff as a defensive assistant during Garoppolo’s threeplus seasons with New England.
On Wednesday, Flores recalled Garoppolo subbing for Tom Brady during the first two games of the 2016 season and sporting a 20 record. With the 49ers, Garoppolo is 206 in the regular season as a starter and the 49ers are 411 in games he hasn’t started.
That’s not to say Garoppolo is without warts. In fact, he received the brunt of criticism for a seasonopening loss to the Cardinals, the only game he has finished this season.
However, an appreciation for Garoppolo’s ability grew among the fans after Mullens’ performance against Philadelphia.
“I think we all knew he was going to be a good player,” Flores said, “and it’s definitely turned out that way.”