Garoppolo injuries loom large in 49ers’ longrange QB plans
The NFC West is home to three apparently indestructible starting quarterbacks. And Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers’ QB, on injured reserve for the second time in three seasons, sticks out in a division in which his peers have not been sidelined.
Seattle’s Russell Wilson hasn’t missed a game in his 138start career, the Rams’ Jared Goff hasn’t missed a game because of injury in his 64start career and, though Arizona’s Kyler Murray is just getting started, he has opened his career by making 26 straight starts.
The contrast with Garoppolo, who has suffered three significant injuries in his 32start career, highlights a less-discussed aspect of the 49ers’ muchdiscussed future decision on their QB.
That is, even if Garoppolo was a firstteam All-Pro, the 49ers would need to significantly upgrade their backup spot in 2021 based on his inability to stay healthy.
General manager John
Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have both invoked the same primary talking point recently in defending Garoppolo amid speculation they could part with him in the offseason: The 49ers are far better when he’s on the field.
And that’s accurate. The 49ers are 228 with Garoppolo since he became the starter in 2017 and are 413 when he has been sidelined.
Those numbers reflect well on Garoppolo’s impact. But they also reflect that the 49ers become basically a bottom feeder when he’s injured.
And, if Garoppolo stays in 2021, the 49ers can’t run the risk of having an injury to him torpedo another season.
In 2018, their 412 season was essentially over after Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL in Week 3. In 2020, his latest injury helps explain their 46 record: The highankle sprain Garoppolo suffered in Week 2 has sidelined him for four games ( record: 13) and prevented him from finishing three others ( record: 12).
In 2016, when Garoppolo was set to start the first four games for the Patriots while Tom Brady served a suspension, Garoppolo suffered a sprained throwing shoulder in Week 2.
In summary: Garoppolo hasn’t made it to Week 4 in three of the four years in which he has been a seasonopening starter, although he started all 19 games ( including playoffs) in 2019.
Last week, Shanahan said the expectation was that Garoppolo would remain the starter in 2021, although the head coach quickly added no decision has been made.
Still, let’s assume Garoppolo returns.
If Garoppolo was an elite QB with a troubling medical file? The 49ers might add a freeagent backup with starting experience, such as Indianapolis’ Jacoby Brissett to upgrade over Nick Mullens.
However, there also remains a question if Garoppolo is the 49ers’ longterm answer. And that makes it more likely the 49ers would draft a quarterback with an earlyround pick to supplant Mullens, provide competition for Garoppolo and serve as his potential successor if Garoppolo falters next season.
The 49ers expected to know if they wanted to stick with Garoppolo after 2020, which they thought would be his second full season as a starter. Instead, Garoppolo has been healthy for just one game and it’s not guaranteed that he will return before the end of the season.
As a result, the 49ers have confirmed what they already knew — they are much better with Garoppolo — and they should now know something else with certainty if they keep him in 2021: They can’t allow themselves to be in a position where another injury to Garoppolo undermines their season.