San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will not start Sunday’s NFC Championship Game even if he’s able to return to action.
But there’s been some hope that the Super Bowl signal caller would be able to back up rookie Brock Purdy after suffering a foot injury back in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins. That now doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
“X-ray tomorrow to see how things are going. I’d be very surprised if he was out there this week,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Jimmy Garoppolo’s status, via Cam Inman of The Mercury News.
Initially, reports noted that Garoppolo suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot that would require season-ending surgery. Then, back in December, indications came out that he didn’t suffer such a serious injury with a timetable to return of seven-to-eight weeks. We’re pretty much at that timeline right now. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
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Jimmy Garoppolo has likely played his final game with the 49ers
Regardless of what happens during the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday, it’s now safe to conclude that we’ve seen the last of Garoppolo in a 49ers uniform.
He surprisingly returned for the 2022 season despite youngster Trey Lance being named QB1. As part of Garoppolo’s decision to remain in San Francisco, he restructured his contract. Said deal included a no franchise tag provision, meaning that Garoppolo will hit free agency in March. Given his body of work after replacing an injured Lance back in Week 2, it stands to reason that the veteran will receive offers to be a starter by other teams.
- Jimmy Garoppolo stats (2022): 67% completion, 2,437 yards, 18 total TD, 4 INT, 103.0 QB rating
As for San Francisco, it has already reportedly made the decision that Purdy will be QB1 next season over both Lance and Garoppolo. The rookie seventh-round pick is in the midst of an historic run in which he’s led the 49ers to seven consecutive wins.
After taking over for the injured Garoppolo back in Week 13, Purdy accounted for 14 touchdowns against three interceptions in six games to conclude the regular season. San Francisco averaged 33.5 points during that span before defeating the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, setting the stage for Sunday’s conference title matchup against Philadelphia.