Jimmy Garoppolo’s path to the Super Bowl has been a story of patience.
The San Francisco 49er’s signal-caller is in his sixth NFL season, and it’s the first time he’s played a full slate of games. Garoppolo spent three years behind Tom Brady with the New England Patriots and injuries have held him back during the past two seasons with the 49ers.
He’s truly become a student of the game, while patiently waiting on his moment to shine. That moment came, and he’s less than a week away from a Super Bowl LIV showdown with the high-powered Kansas City Chiefs.
Garoppolo has been a worthy starter, and his 23-5 record tells the story. He spoke about the moment that he knew he would be ready for a starting gig while speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
“You always want to be the starter, even when I came in Day 1,” Garoppolo said, transcribed by NESN. “I had that mindset that I wanted to be the starter, I was going to act as the starter, prepare as the starter, but I think probably Year 2, Year 3, something like that. I could personally see myself grow and had a chance at being successful.”
He took the time to learn from Brady and soak in the culture that New England carries. Garoppolo transferred that knowledge to his current role and is extremely grateful for it. He passed on some advice to Jarret Stidham, who could take over Brady’s spot if the legendary quarterback decides to leave in free agency.
“I think as a young quarterback who’s sitting behind someone learning, I think you have to embrace it a little bit but still at the same time, you have to challenge yourself and challenge the guy ahead of you,” Garoppolo said. “You want to be the starter and have that mentality. But I think whenever you get that opportunity to learn from a guy, especially someone who’s been successful in the NFL, it will only benefit you.
“Personally, I got to sit for three-and-a-half years and learn from Tom and Coach Belichick and all of those guys, and I think it benefitted me tremendously. So, I think there are different ways to look at it, but there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
The situation would be quite different for Stidham though, because he’s only been behind Brady for a year. But, he would have to soak up all the knowledge he received and take in the leadership that surrounds him.
As for Garoppolo, the opportunity of a lifetime is less than a week today, like Brady said, “go handle business.”
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