49ers, Vikings have found their QBs.
49ers, Vikings feature solid starting quarterbacks
SANTA CLARA >> Kirk Cousins gets it. He appreciates why Coach Kyle Shanahan abandoned a potential reunion from their Washington days to hire Cousins as the 49ers quarterback this year and beyond.
That seductive Jimmy Garoppolo got in the way, of course.
“He’s one of those guys who you’re looking for to quarterback your team, and when you get one, you want to make sure you keep him,” Cousins said Wednesday of Garoppolo to Minnesota-based reporters.
Washington made sure not to keep Cousins after two years on the franchise tag, so he fled in free agency, as Shanahan and others long expected. Cousins then scored a fully guaranteed deal (three years, $84 million) with the Minnesota Vikings, who open the season Sunday by hosting Garoppolo, Shanahan and the 6-point underdog 49ers.
They are 2 of 13 teams fielding a different starting quarterback as opposed to
last season’s opener. Shanahan said he believes both the 49ers and Vikings have their right QB1s.
“He’s in a very good situation and went to a very good place,” Shanahan said of Cousins. “I’m very happy for him for that, with what he’s been through.”
Cousins entered the NFL as Shanahan’s star pupil in Washington from 2012-13. Now, Garoppolo is Shanahan’s prize catch.
“I’m extremely happy with what we have here, where we’re at, and the decision that we made on who to go with before that,” Shanahan added.
After Garoppolo came along in an Oct. 30 trade from New England, and once he followed up road wins at Chicago and Houston with a walk-off comeback against Tennessee, Shanahan told General Manager John Lynch this was the 49ers’ QB keeper.
Lynch joked this offseason that, until Garoppolo emerged so dominant in December, Shanahan was “in mourning” over having to scuttle the Cousins master plan. Bad choice of words, recalled Shanahan, who added: “We fell into an alternative option that was pretty darn good.”
Rather than franchisetag Garoppolo, as Washington did Cousins, the 49ers signed Garoppolo to a thenrecord contract (five years, $137.5 million) on Feb. 8. A month later, Cousins landed with the Vikings.
Garoppolo won all three of his road starts last season, and having won his first career start in New England’s 2016 opener at Arizona, he’s excited about Sunday’s initial entry to U.S. Bank Stadium.
“It’s kind of a ‘you against the world’ environment that you’re in,” Garoppolo said.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer had good things to say of Garoppolo’s 5-0 record last season as the 49ers starter: “Obviously he played well in all those games. He stood under pressure and made some nice throws.”
Added Cousins: “The (50) record and the production speak for itself. He’s earned where he is right now, and he’ll be a great challenge for us Sunday.”
When Zimmer left as the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator post in 2014 for the Vikings, Garoppolo was on his radar coming out of Eastern Illinois with a “strong arm” and “very confident” style. Zimmer noted that Garoppolo has since “improved tremendously” and that his New England apprenticeship “helped him a lot.” MCKINNON FALLOUT >> Running back Jerick McKinnon’s season-ending knee injury Saturday — on what Garoppolo said was a “tough” break on the second or third play of practice — obviously impacts the 49ers’ long-envisioned game plan.
“Since the day we signed him, we’ve been game planning for Minnesota,” Shanahan said. “So, I’m not going to lie, it changes things pretty drastically. … But definitely still excited about what we’ve got.”
Zimmer, having coached McKinnon the past four years, offered his sympathy: “He’s a great kid. He was great for us. A good hard worker, smile on his face every day.” MCGLINCHEY MINDSET >> Right tackle Mike McGlinchey, the 49ers’ top draft pick, is excited about making his official debut in a “big test” against “great players on defense.” Rather than scrutinize the Vikings individually, he’s focused on concepts.
“I take more notes on the scheme and how we’re going to run our plays against them,” McGlinchey said. “In terms of pass rushers, I’ve found the more I study an individual player to see what he’ll do to move, I start over-thinking it and get screwed up.
“I’ve always been taught and feel the offensive line, you’re the aggressor, and pass rusher is more reactionary. So if I can control what I do better than the other guy, I’m in a better spot.”
• Shanahan’s reaction to former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick appearing in a Nike campaign: “I don’t have a reaction to probably anything that’s happened on this planet the last four days. I apologize for that. And it will continue for about six more months. Sorry.”
• Shanahan hasn’t officially declared his starting right guard and only said Mike Person is “leading,” having lined up there in Wednesday warmups. Joshua Garnett was on the second string.
• Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is “full go, ready to go” in his return from last October’s anterior cruciate ligament tear, Zimmer said.
• Even though tight end Cole Hikutini joined the Vikings practice squad after the 49ers cut him Saturday, Shanahan is not concerned: “It’s not like Cole knew our game plan or would have been able to memorize it.”
• Wide receiver Terrell Owens will receive his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring at halftime of the 49ers’ Nov. 1 game against the Raiders, the Hall announced.