49ers’ Joe Staley reacts to Jimmy Garoppolo deal: ‘The franchise is in good hands’

Like his teammates, San Francisco 49ers tackle Joe Staley is excited to have the team's quarterback position solidified for the foreseeable future. The veteran offensive lineman was on SiriusXM NFL Radio shortly after news broke that Garoppolo had agreed to a record five-year, $137.5 million deal to remain with the 49ers.

"I think from day one when he got there, everybody was really excited about the opportunity to play with him," Staley said. "Just kind of where he came from and getting to be around the guy. The guy is pretty special. But then, just on the practice field and seeing everything that he does, the way he prepares, the guys were really excited to see what he can do on game day when we get out there and play.

"Then he came out there, we played well, we won, came back at the end of the game against Chicago, won that game, and then just slowly gained more confidence in him. I think once you have a lot of confidence in what the quarterback is doing, it kind of raises everybody's level around him. I think you just kind of saw that at the end of the year. He was kind of raising everybody's level of play throughout the season as he went.

"We're excited to have him for the entire offseason, training camp, and then the full season after."

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Garoppolo helped the 49ers win their final five games of the 2017 season, which started with two consecutive road games and then finished with three matchups against playoff teams (Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams). He completed 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.

Staley was asked to discuss what Garoppolo means to his teammates in the huddle and the leadership qualities that he brought to San Francisco. After all, Garoppolo sat behind and learned from one of the best of all time in Tom Brady during his three-and-a-half seasons with the New England Patriots.

"You saw that from day one," Staley said. "The way he just kind of came into the huddle in practice when he was there for two days and really just kind of took over. He was snapping at guys like, 'Hey, pay attention. This is what we're doing right here.' There was no 'feeling out' period with him.

"But he did it in a way too where it didn't come off as arrogant or anything like that. It was just like, 'I'm asserting myself. This is what needs to be done.' I think a lot of that comes from who he was job shadowing for the first three or four years of his career over there in New England.

"He's a great guy. I can't say enough positive things about him. I think the franchise is in good hands with him at the helm."

You can listen to this portion of the interview with Staley below.