The 49ers knew what they had in Garoppolo. Now they’ll experience frustrating deja vu.
When the 49ers, one of the NFL’s mainstays over the last few years, made a somewhat surprising run to the NFC title game last January, everyone knew something was missing.
A powerhouse offensive line buoyed by perhaps football’s best big man in Trent Williams? Check. A dynamic set of skill players, such as Swiss Army Knife receiver/running back Deebo Samuel? Check. A defense led by premium ball-stoppers and superstars in Nick Bosa and Fred Warner? Oh, heck, yes.
But a quarterback they could lean on, especially when it was time for a “gotta have it play” in crunch time? Uh, about that. Let’s just say Jimmy Garoppolo was more of a rusty anchor hanging onto the brig of one of football’s best rosters rather than a robust, powerful engine. It’s a huge discussion that will undoubtedly come into focus during the 49er’s matchup against the Rams on Monday Night Football and for the rest of the 2022 season.
Because they knew what they had, San Francisco not-so-subtly tried to move on from Garoppolo before the 2022 campaign began. But now that an injury to hopeful prodigy Trey Lance has forced their hand — the NFL world is about to be re-reminded of the impeccably low ceiling Garoppolo offers as a quarterback.
To be clear, I don’t think Garoppolo is the worst offensive signal caller in the NFL. In a league where it seems at least a fourth of the active teams seeks a new quarterback every offseason, Garoppolo offers a steady hand. On a good day, he can manage an offense and spread the wealth to his bevy of playmakers. On occasion (emphasis on occasion), he’ll make a big-time throw. And, for the most part, he won’t outright lose the game by himself. I know this isn’t a high standard I’m setting, but aside from the handful of stars some of us know on a first-name basis (“Pat,” “Lamar,” “Josh,” “Tom,” etc.) — the bar for professional quarterback performance isn’t positioned very high.
At the same time, that’s the exact problem the 49ers were hoping to finally rid themselves of this season. San Francisco’s in the middle of a Super Bowl window. A team with one NFC title and two appearances in the conference championship round in three years can’t afford to have an experienced quarterback who won’t move the needle much. The 49ers’ roster is so good that you’ll find them overcoming a quarterback like Garoppolo’s deficiencies more often than you’d expect from an average team. But when it comes to consistent, high-level play, when the squad lining up across from them is an elite playoff contender with a solid defensive front, Garoppolo will wilt. Like he seemingly always does.
Suffice it to say that’s not a flaw the 49ers can simply ignore. It’s fatal wiring for their grand Lombardi Trophy ambitions. They’re a team that needs a hero under center, not someone they sometimes have to carry on their collective back. And no: It certainly isn’t the play calls.
In 2021, Garoppolo ranked 22nd in the NFL with an average pass attempt of 7.5 yards. At the same time, his interception percentage was also 22nd at a hurtful/impactful 2.7 percent of all throws. This is who he is, and it’s who he’s been his entire career: A limited quarterback with flashes of competence who can never quite make you not dream of having something better.
The young Trey Lance could be a lengthy project when he gets healthy again. But his presence alone as a better athlete — who can make his plays with his legs and a stronger arm — gives the 49ers more promise in the long run. With Garoppolo back in the fold, for now, it’ll probably be an impossibly frustrating fit of deja vu. San Francisco will flutter about aimlessly around this midseason mark. Their core will start to piece it together during the stretch run as they get hot in a weak NFC. Then they’ll upset a heavyweight in the first round of the playoffs before they run out of steam in late January when Garoppolo fails to elevate them. Rinse, repeat, see you next year.
The 49ers were right to try and give up on Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. And now they’ll likely waste a year of a championship window because they have to play him again.
The pick: Rams 24, 49ers 20
Before the Rams defeated the 49ers for last year’s NFC championship, San Francisco had Los Angeles’ number in a season sweep. I think this primetime matchup will resemble more of the pair’s recent date for the NFC than either of those regular season games. It’ll be grimy and probably a bit unwatchable, but the Rams are a better team overall.
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