Kyle Shanahan Doubles Down on Jimmy Garoppolo's Future with the 49ers

[Sourdough Sam]

There has been much speculation surrounding Jimmy Garoppolo's future in San Francisco, and head coach Kyle Shanahan hoped to set the record straight on Monday.


"Yes, I do believe Jimmy's going to be our quarterback next year," Shanahan said.


Garoppolo's future came into question after the quarterback was sidelined to injury for the majority of the 49ers uninspiring season. He suffered multiple high-ankle sprains that kept him out of the lineup for nearly three quarters of the season.


Despite the quarterback's injury woes, Shanahan trusts that, when healthy, Garoppolo is the best option for San Francisco going forward.


"Look at Jimmy's record when he's been here. Jimmy, you can win with. He's proven he's a starting quarterback in this league," Shanahan said. "There's a reason his record is what it is, and that's why we paid for him to be our starting quarterback."


Following a midseason trade from the New England Patriots in 2017, Garoppolo led the 1-10 49ers to five-straight wins to close out the season, earning himself a lucrative five-year deal at the close of the season. Since joining San Francisco, the 49ers own a 22-8 record with Garoppolo as the starter (24-9 including the postseason). Without the quarterback in the lineup, San Francisco is 7-26.


In his first, and only, full season as an NFL starter, he led San Francisco to a 13-win Super Bowl run in 2019.


Garoppolo owns a 67.5 completion percentage in San Francisco, throwing for nearly 5,800 yards, 8.5 yards per attempt, 35 touchdowns to 21 interceptions and a 98.1 passer rating. His 67.5 completion percentage ranks first in franchise history and his passer rating ranks second only behind Steve Young.


This offseason offers a deep pool of available options at quarterback through the draft and free agency. Shanahan and General manager John Lynch have reiterated their desire to make upgrades at any position deemed necessary on the roster. While the quartrtback position also falls into that category, the 49ers appear content with Garoppolo remaining under center in 2021.


"You look into every avenue and you see if there's something out there that can get you a ton better," Shanahan said. "That's the same answer for every position. But look at Jimmy, look at what he's done. Look where he's at financially. We better have a very good answer if you're going to find something better than that because Jimmy has shown in one year that he's the guy who can take us to the Super Bowl and I also think that Jimmy is going to get a lot better the more he plays."


Despite starting 30 games, Garoppolo has missed 23 to injuries. The signal caller missed the 49ers past six contests while working his way back from a new and worsened high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 8. San Francisco opened Garoppolo's practice window last week, and Shanahan highlighted the heightened energy with the quarterback on the field.


While the 49ers are set to close out the season in the divisional matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, the team isn't guaranteeing the quarterback's 2020 return. Backup C.J. Beathard appears to be in line for his second-straight start of the season. Whether Garoppolo strings along an inspiring and healthy, series of practices over the next few days, the signs, and Shanahan, are trending towards a 2021 season return for the quarterback.


"With Jimmy, it's about getting back on the field for him and that's why he had a lot more fun last week getting out there. I can't tell you how much our players are different, too, with just having Jimmy out there," Shanahan said. "Jimmy has handled it well. That's why he's got a chance to come back this week. But until the doctors give us the go, we're not going to."