It’s been a tough season for the 49ers (5-7) who lost tight end George Kittle and Jimmy Garoppolo to injuries. While we know Kittle is irreplaceable, the question is whether or not that’s the same scenario for the team’s quarterback.
While speculation has swarmed with possibilities on who could get the job done, NBC Sports Bay Area analyst and former NFL quarterback himself Jeff Garcia believes we need to give Garoppolo a chance whenever he’s healthy.
“I want to see that he’s still into it, you know, mentally. You’re the $25, $30 million dollar man, you need to be out there earning your paycheck,” Garcia said.
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Garcia says that even if Jimmy G comes back at 90 percent from his ankle injury, we need to see what he’s about.
“Jimmy’s a good quarterback, but he lacks that ability to extend play and that proves to be important,” Garcia said. “When your quarterback’s a sitting duck like [Nick] Mullens and Jimmy pretty much are, you know they’re not going to threaten you once the pocket breaks down.”
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The 49ers are 24-8 when Jimmy G gets the start, and he was a big reason as to why the team made a Super Bowl appearance last season.
Quarterbacks like the Atlanta Falcons’ Matt Ryan, Philadelphia Eagles’ Carson Wentz and Detroit Lions’ Matt Stafford all have been discussed as potentially good fits to play in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
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“He should be out there working for it,” Garcia said.
Still, the 49ers all have Jimmy G’s back, and the organization hasn't given any official indication that the team doesn't believe in the 29-year-old.