Moving

Jimmy Garoppolo talks unsure future forward of what could possibly be closing sport with San Francisco 49ers

Veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo entered the Week 18 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams knowing full well that this could have been his last game as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

What followed was a comeback for the ages and adding at least one more game to Jimmg GQ’s career. Garoppolo trailed 17-0 at the end of the second quarter and looked utterly lost in a game they had to win. Garoppolo led the 49ers back to a 27-24 overtime win.

With the win, San Francisco heads to Big D to face the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday afternoon’s NFC Wild Card Playoffs.

Related: NFL Playoff and Super Bowl Predictions

At a meeting with the media on Wednesday, Garoppolo admitted his uncertain future has weighed on him all season.

“It’s always in the back of my mind,” Garoppolo told reporters. “It really was in mine all season. I knew what season it was, knew everything that was and wasn’t going on behind the scenes. It was a little bit different.”

Related: Brave Predictions for 49ers Cowboys NFC Wild Card Game

Jimmy Garoppolo’s future remains clouded ahead of the NFL playoffs

January 9, 2022; Inglewood, California, United States; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) celebrates as he leaves the field after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime of the game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

A few months earlier, the 49ers had exhausted two prospective first-round picks and a third-round pick to trade for quarterback Trey Lance. You’re not trading that capital unless you expect the quarterback to start sooner rather than later.

With Garoppolo injured (thumbs) in Week 17, Lance helped the 49ers stay in the playoff race with a 23-7 win over the Houston Texans. In that game, the small-school product completed 16 of 23 passes while rushing for 280 yards on two touchdowns. For some, this may have been the beginning of “Trey Area” in Santa Clara.

In fact, many called for Garoppolo to be benched at halftime against the Rams last week before the veteran made a comeback for the ages.

Related: Bold Predictions for the NFL Wild Card Playoffs

What does this mean for the Super Bowl quarterback? It’s cloudier than ever.

On the one hand, Garoppolo has a $26.91 million cap hit for next season. San Francisco escapes by saving more than $25 million. For his part, Lance’s cap hit is just $7.75 million. From a financial and team building perspective, it makes sense for San Francisco to trade or release Garoppolo.

All of this is complicated by the fact that these 49ers with Garoppolo under center had a ton more success than other quarterbacks during the Kyle Shanahan era.

  • Record with Jimmy Garoppolo: 31-14
  • Record without Jimmy Garoppolo: 8-26

Those are some absolutely absurd splits right there.

Realistically, Garoppolo’s future could depend on what happens in Dallas on Sunday and possibly progressing in the playoffs.

Much like we saw after the 49ers’ performance in the Super Bowl in February 2020, a deep run in the playoffs would make it difficult for San Francisco to leave Garoppolo. Recall that a month after the Super Bowl appearance, the team’s leadership decided against going after Tom Brady.

As for Garoppolo, he wants to continue as long as possible.

“These guys on this team, I love this team. i love the players i love everything about it It’s a good group to be here, a fun group. We want to keep this thing going for as long as possible,” the quarterback said.

WATCH: Sportsnaut’s Carolyn Manno on the latest NFL rumours

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button