The 49ers went all-in on a former New England Patriots second-string Quarterback a year ago and so far it hasn’t shown signs of being a wise investment. Former Tom Brady backup Jimmy Garoppolo was given a 5-year $137 million contract with San Francisco after performing at a high level for the franchise in 2017.
Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers midseason and finished with an impressive 67 percent completion percentage and a few solid wins which prompted the new contract. The following season, Garoppolo as the day one starter played in just 3 games before suffering an ACL tear against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In his first game action since the September 2018 injury, the 27-year-old looked rusty, to say the least posting a 0.0 Quarterback rating (QBR) with one completion on six attempts for zero yards, and an interception against the Denver Broncos.
Garoppolo admitted that he was frustrated by his play and wished he could’ve played the whole game to “bounce back.”
“It is what it is. It’s preseason right now so you’ve just got to take it in stride,” Garoppolo told reporters after the game.
The 49ers finished 4-12 last season, but are expected to be a lot better this year with an improved defense and hopefully a healthy and productive quarterback. Prior to last night’s game, reports on Garoppolo from the camp were not promising after he reportedly threw five straight interceptions in practice.
The 49ers are also in a tough division with the defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rams, the Seattle Seahawks who also made the playoffs last year, and an Arizona Cardinals team that has a promising rookie QB in Kyler Murray.
Despite the poor play, Jimmy G says his knee has nothing to do with his poor play which if true is a good sign for his health.
