Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo finally took his first snaps as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. His debut came with just over a minute remaining against the Seattle Seahawks in a matchup where a victory was already well out of reach.
Rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard, who has started the last five games for the 49ers, went down with a leg injury during the previous play. Garoppolo entered the game and completed both of his passes for 18 yards and a touchdown in three snaps.
"It was nice he got a touchdown," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said following the game. "We got an off-schedule play, ran around and made a good play to [wide receiver Louis Murphy], and it's nice to get in the end zone."
While it was an excellent, but short, performance for the quarterback, Shanahan is not ready to make a change based off of such a small sample size. At no point during the 24-13 loss did the head coach consider replacing a relatively ineffective Beathard with his new prized quarterback.
The 49ers coaches plan to enter this week like any other since Garoppolo's arrival via a trade with the New England Patriots on October 30.
"We'll work with him Monday and Tuesday and then put a game plan together and see what we decide for Wednesday," Shanahan said.
Garoppolo figures into the 49ers' long-term plans as the franchise quarterback for Shanahan and the new regime. While he was disappointed by the loss, it felt good to enter a game and then throw a touchdown.
"It was cool," Garoppolo said. "Like I said, tough situation being down at that point. We'll move on from here."
Garoppolo's touchdown pass was the first by a 49ers quarterback against Seattle this season. When asked about the play, he spread around the credit.
"Murph made a great catch on it in the end zone," Garoppolo said. "The offensive line gave me some time. I had to scramble a little bit, and it was a nice play by everybody."
Beathard, who will have X-rays performed on Monday to check the severity of his injury, has been impressed with Garoppolo's progress since joining the 49ers.
"He's definitely gotten smarter," Beathard said. "It's been however many weeks. He's definitely gotten a better grasp of the offense since he's gotten here."
Beathard isn't the only 49ers player that has been impressed with Garoppolo. On Sunday, left tackle Joe Staley shared his thoughts on his new quarterback.
"He's a smart, bright guy," Staley said. "He's picking it up really, really well. I think he's doing really well."
Murphy, who caught Garoppolo's touchdown pass, was among the players that stuck around the 49ers facility during the team's bye week. He feels that it helped to develop some chemistry with the quarterback.
"I do have a good rapport going on with him, especially being there that extra week and working with him," Murphy said. "It was really good for the both of us. I am just excited to see what happens."
There was some criticism by players regarding the fans at Levi's Stadium cheering for Garoppolo while Beathard was dealing with his injury. It took some time for things to settle down and get that first play off with Gaoppolo under center. Murphy was in the huddle before the snap.
"You heard the crowd begin to cheer him on and that was kind of cool," Muphy said, "and him saying, 'All right fellas, here we go.' He just took command of the huddle like a leader does and everyone else followed."
As for the touchdown itself, Murphy was asked after the game if he was surprised by how quickly Garoppolo was able to get the football into his hands.
"Yes," Murphy answered. "I have been noticing that all week, and for the last two or three weeks in practice, how quick the ball comes out of his hands and how he stays alive too. The O-line did a great job blocking, Coach called a good play, and we just executed."
Depending on the severity of Beathard's injury, Shanahan will have a big decision to make this week. Will he continue to go with the rookie, who has three more starts under his belt than his veteran quarterback? Or will he change things up and go with newcomer Garoppolo, who the 49ers spent a 2018 second-round pick on to acquire?
Shanahan is scheduled to meet with reporters at 4:00 p.m. on Monday and there should be no shortage of quarterback questions from reporters.
