After Bill Belichick hand-delivered Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers on the eve of the trade deadline, it did not completely rule out the possibility of coach Kyle Shanahan teaming up again with Kirk Cousins this season.
But Garoppolo’s performance in the 49ers’ final five games solidified his spot as the franchise quarterback. And the 49ers locked him up with a five-year, $137.5 million contract to avoid dealing with the fallback plan of the franchise tag.
As a result, the 49ers head into training camp this week feeling secure in their belief the team’s top two quarterbacks are set for at least the next three seasons.
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Who’s Here
Jimmy Garoppolo, C.J. Beathard, Nick Mullens, Jack Heneghan
Best Of The Bunch
Garoppolo made just seven starts in his first four NFL seasons. His teams are 7-0 in those games. He took over last season when the 49ers were 1-10. It was a low-pressure situation, and Garoppolo made the most of it. He completed 67.4 percent of his passes and threw for 1,542 yards in those five starts. Garoppolo did it all without much knowledge of Shanahan’s playbook. With a full offseason and training camp to learn the system, Garoppolo is the main reason there is significant optimism the 49ers can be a factor in the NFC playoff chase for the upcoming season.
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Top Camp Battle
Mullens vs. Heneghan. The 49ers are likely to keep only two quarterbacks -- Garoppolo and Beathard -- on their 53-man roster again this season. Mullens spent all of last season on the practice squad. He signed with the 49ers last year as an undrafted rookie from Southern Mississippi. This year, the 49ers signed Heneghan after he went undrafted from Dartmouth. Heneghan saw few practice snaps in the offseason program as he learned the system. He will compete against Mullens for a spot on the team’s 10-man practice squad.
Long Shot
Heneghan participated in the 49ers’ local pro day at Levi’s Stadium. He had a job lined up after graduation in a private equity firm, but he changed course when the 49ers offered him a contract. Heneghan has good size (6 foot 4, 230 pounds) and all the smarts required to pick up Shanahan’s system. Plus, he has a football pedigree. His father, Lal, was a long-time NFL executive, including five seasons as 49ers executive vice president of football administration.
Overview
The 49ers are counting on Garoppolo to succeed. But the 49ers also have plenty of reasons to feel good about their backup. Beathard showed toughness and smarts as a rookie after replacing an underachieving Brian Hoyer early last season. Beathard had an outstanding offseason program. His spot as the backup should be secure for as long as he remains with the 49ers. He is signed through the 2020 season.