Jimmy showed what he could do with the Patriots. Now he’s making headlines with the 49ers.
The San Francisco 49ers have finally found a young and promising quarterback–a QB who has elite skills and traits. That player is Jimmy Garoppolo.
Jimmy in New England (photo, Sports Illustrated)
Garoppolo was drafted #62 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, destined to be Tom Brady’s successor. And Garoppolo showed early-on that he would be able to fill the bill. He played in 22 games through his first two seasons–six of them starts–and threw for 690 yards and 5 touchdowns with 0 interceptions.
New England fans were ecstatic. The Patriots seemed to have picked another late-draft gem. But the plan never took effect.
The San Francisco 49ers acquired Jimmy Garoppolo on November 1 in exchange for a 2nd round pick. The trade seemed fair enough, too. The Patriots got a draft pick in exchange for an expiring contract, while the 49ers took a gamble on their next franchise quarterback.
Jimmy has reasons to smile (photo, WEEI.com)
That gamble has paid off in spades. Through the first five games with his new club (four starts), Garoppolo has played lights-out football–1,554 total yards for 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. That performance, despite a small sample size, shows Garoppolo’s potential. Simply put, he has a chance to become a great player.
Why is he doing so well? One reason is fit in San Francisco, especially with the coaching staff. The 49ers hired offensive guru Kyle Shanahan in the 2017 offseason to be their new head coach. The previous season, Shanahan had displayed his high-IQ as the Atlanta Falcons OC. Falcons’ quarterback, Matt Ryan, won the 2017 NFL MVP and the Falcons went all the way to the Super Bowl.
Garoppolo inherits that system as San Francisco’s–not New England’s–franchise quarterback.
Look for him to be an elite quarterback for years to come.
