When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo went down to a foot injury early in their game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, it did not look good.
Following San Francisco’s surprising win with rookie seventh-round pick Brock Purdy leading the charge, head coach Kyle Shanahan noted that Garoppolo will have to undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
Now, we’re not too sure. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Garoppolo will not need surgery and could return in seven to eight weeks — making it a possibility that he’s healthy enough for the playoffs.
To put this into perspective, seven weeks from Tuesday would be roughly two days after the divisional round wraps up and five days before the NFC Championship Game.
San Francisco is 8-4 on the season and in the midst of a five-game winning streak. Even following Garoppolo’s injury news, the team didn’t show interest in claiming fellow quarterback Baker Mayfield before he landed with the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. Instead, the 49ers signed veteran journeyman Josh Johnson off the Denver Broncos’ practice squad.
This is a clear indication that Shanahan and Co. are comfortable with Purdy starting. A former star at Iowa State, Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant as the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft this past spring.
The young signal-caller played well in Garoppolo’s stead last week, completing 25 of 37 passes for 210 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
- Jimmy Garoppolo stats (2022): 67.2% completion, 2,437 yards, 18 total TDs, 4 INTs, 103.0 QB rating
From a macro perspective, this injury update is good news for the 49ers. It provides them hope that Garoppolo could in fact see action in the playoffs.
From a micro perspective, this is also great news for Jimmy GQ. Being able to avoid surgery will enable him to hit the NFL free-agent market in March 100% healthy. Whether it’s re-signing with the 49ers or going to another team, he should now cash in big-time.
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