Amid a lost season, 49ers hope they’ve found their leader
It’s like Christmas morning for beleaguered football fans: the introduction of their team’s quarterback of the future.
In this case, the San Francisco 49ers rolled out Jimmy Garoppolo on Wednesday, showing off their shiny new acquisition who finally stands poised to take the reins of a franchise adrift.
By all accounts, there is great enthusiasm to see the onetime backup to Tom Brady in New England. And Garoppolo certainly looks the part, a strapping young man with a square jaw and movie-star looks. In short stints on the field during his four-year NFL career, the Illinois native has looked good.
But it’s abundantly unclear whether Garoppolo can live up to the lofty expectations set by San Francisco predecessors named Montana and Young. Garoppolo has thrown a grand total of 96 passes in the NFL, all but two of those with the Patriots, the best team in the league.
It’s a different story in Santa Clara, where the 1-10 49ers have burned through two
quarterbacks already this season, both suffering a beating behind a makeshift offensive line. Despite a new general manager and head coach this season, the 49ers remain in disarray.
So is Garoppolo the guy who can turn things around? Can the 49ers’ latest savior deliver? We’ll start to see the answer Sunday in Chicago, where a generally unimpressive Bears team awaits. In the meantime, the 49ers faithful can paint their own picture of the future, dreaming that Garoppolo is everything they ever wanted.
Fans and talk-show hosts have been calling for him to play since he was acquired from the Patriots on Halloween. Sports geeks think he has the tools to be great. Others just think he’s dreamy. But head coach Kyle Shanahan has taken it slow, sticking with rookie C.J. Beathard as the starter. A late-game injury to Beathard on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks gave Garoppolo his first chance to get in a game.
And No. 10 capitalized, completing two passes, including a nifty ad lib that led to a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He displayed quick feet, a mind for improvisation and a soft touch, all on the scoring play. And that was all Shanahan had to see, naming Garoppolo the starter Tuesday for this weekend’s game.
Which led to Wednesday’s show-and-tell session at team headquarters, with everyone saying the right things and hope springing forth.
“I’m excited to work with Jimmy,” Shanahan said. “Knowing that we’re going with him the whole week, we can really dedicate the reps and how we organize practice to him. My expectation for him is I know he’s going to try his hardest. I know he’s going to go out there and compete, and I’m excited to see him do it. It will be fun watching the tape after with him so we can help improve him.”
For his part, Garoppolo said he’s taking things “one game at a time,” then apologized for the cliche.
Is he ready to put this franchise on his shoulders?
“I’m trying not to think about the future too much,” he said. “I’ve learned in the past that when your mind wanders like that, quarterbacking in this league is hard enough. So, when you start thinking about other things, you’re going to have a tough time. I think just staying focused on the Bears this week. I hold myself to a high level. I’ve been doing that my whole life, and I think that won’t stop.”
The 49ers’ new 26-year-old quarterback commands the room well, looking his inquisitors in the eye and answering in short, coherent sentences. There’s no sign that the combative environment championed by New England head coach Bill Belichick has rubbed off on the young man.
In fact, he seems downright relaxed in the lead role, walking around the 49ers’ impossibly young locker room with confidence and joking with teammates. As Shanahan pointed out Wednesday, there was a time during Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks that six of the 11 offensive players on the field were rookies. This team desperately needs a leader, and “Jimmy G” could be the answer.
In terms of football analysis, Garoppolo is known for his “quick release,” meaning he can cock his arm and throw in a hurry, allowing him to avoid costly sacks, overcome porous blocking and get the ball downfield. By comparison, former 49ers starter Colin Kaepernick was roundly criticized for his long windup.
Garoppolo is listed at 6foot-2 and 225 pounds but seems a bit smaller in person. He is lauded for reading defenses well and has a “plus arm,” in league parlance. As one observer said, “He can really spin it.”
That much became apparent during his college career at Eastern Illinois, a small school that has produced some interesting talent over the years, including former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and Shanahan’s father, Mike, a Super Bowl-winning head coach who once coached the 49ers’ offense for three seasons (199294).
Garoppolo turned heads in 2013 when he accounted for over 5,000 passing yards and won the Walter Payton Award as the most outstanding offensive player in major college football.
From there, it was on to New England as a secondround draft pick, where Garoppolo learned from the legendary Brady and Belichick tandem, winning two Super Bowl rings in three seasons and filling in admirably when called upon. Of those 96 NFL passes attempted, Garoppolo has thrown six touchdowns with zero interceptions, connecting on more than twothirds of his attempts.
Those are impressive numbers, albeit in a small sample size.
On Sunday, Garoppolo returns to his home area of Chicago to start the first game of the rest of his life. He’ll have plenty of friends and family in the stands, but he’s really trying to impress his new bosses in San Francisco.
The 49ers may make Garoppolo their designated franchise player in the offseason, ensuring that he will return next season. Now it’s up to the quarterback of the future to make the most of the present.