49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffers season-ending foot injury in Week 13

Their 33-17 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 13 proved to be a costly one for the San Francisco 49ers. Starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo exited the game with a left foot injury in the first quarter that will knock him out for the rest of the season.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed as much after Sunday’s game, noting that Garoppolo would have to undergo surgery after breaking “a few things in there”.

“It’s pretty crushing. We know what Jimmy’s been through, how hard he’s worked at this,” Shanahan said after the game. “That was a really cool game, just as a team and all the stuff that went on throughout the game and just be able to overcome some things. So, it’s such a special win but definitely mixed emotions hearing about Jimmy.”

Garoppolo, 31, suffered the injury when he was sacked on his team’s opening possession — the latest major injury he suffered since joining the team via trade from the New England Patriots in 2017. He already missed most of his 2018 campaign with a season-ending knee injury suffered in Week 3, and eight games in 2020 due to a nagging ankle issue.

Now, a foot injury will knock him out for the rest of the season. The injury is the latest development in what has been a wild season for the 49ers’ quarterback position.

The team originally planned on trading Garoppolo in favor of second-year man Trey Lance, but ultimately kept him around on a restructured contract. Lance started the year, but eventually suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 that gave the veteran another opportunity.

He made the most out of it, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 2,437 yards, 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions, all while leading San Francisco to a 7-3 record in his nine starts. Now sitting at 8-4 on the year, however, the team will have to rely on third-stringer Brock Purdy to finish the season strong.