"We've seen Jimmy play and we've seen how he's mobile, the kind of athlete and competitor that he is," Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo during the week before a November matchup between the two teams.
At the time, it still wasn't clear who the 49ers' starting quarterback would be for the Week 12 matchup. "I thought you guys were going to tell me in this interview right here," Carroll jokingly told reporters during a conference call before the game.
Then-rookie C.J. Beathard ended up starting at quarterback against the Seahawks. It was his last start of the season. An injury late in the game forced 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to put in Jimmy Garoppolo, who, just weeks earlier, was acquired via a trade with the New England Patriots. He went on to start the team's final five games of the season.
Garoppolo completed both of his passes for 18 yards and a touchdown in that matchup against the Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. The game had already been decided, and the late-game score had little impact on the outcome, but it excited a fan base that had seen the 49ers drop 10 of their first 11 games.
Carroll spoke to the media at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Thursday and was asked about Garoppolo being in the NFC West and what it means for Seattle and the rest of the division.
"He certainly did some good things," Carroll said. "They had a great finish to the season. Obviously, adding a spark to them, even in our game (between the Seahawks and 49ers). Unfortunately, he had to throw a touchdown pass in the last play of the game or whatever it was.
"I think it's a great get for them and it's going to be good for the division for sure. It's going to make it more challenging, and they certainly had a feel for what he could do late in the year so good for them."
Garoppolo went on to complete 120 of his 178 pass attempts for 1,560 yards, seven touchdowns, five interceptions, a passer rating of 96.2, and a rushing touchdown during his five starts and six game appearances with the 49ers. He signed a new five-year deal worth up to $137.5 million, which means Carroll and the rest of the NFC West will have to go against him for years to come.