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A lot is riding on the health of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this season. He is still rehabbing the torn ACL he suffered in September and reporters will get their first look at him throwing today during a potentially rainy afternoon practice in Santa Clara.
Despite backup Nick Mullens filling in nicely as a then-second year quarterback, the 49ers are seen very differently with and without Garoppolo. With the franchise quarterback, San Francisco is seen as a team which can finish above .500 for the first time since 2013, possibly even make a push for a Wild Card spot. Without him, the 49ers might once again become an afterthought in the minds of the national media.
The "Good Morning Football" hosts discussed the pressure of various quarterbacks in the NFC West and all agreed that the 49ers' time to win is now and most felt that Garoppolo is under a great deal of pressure to help them do that.
Peter Schrager makes note of Garoppolo's salary. He is the sixth-highest paid quarterback in the NFL, so the expectations of winning reflect that expense.
"Last year, he got injured in Week 3 and Nick Mullens, an undrafted [second-year] free agent, came in and won games, and looked good," Schrager said. "
George Kittle broke records with Nick Mullens as his quarterback. So if Nick Mullens was really good last year, you better be better if you are making $127 million.
"Niners fans are fed up with losing every year and having an excuse about injuries and all this. Jimmy Garoppolo, finally healthy, you have the full two years in this system, and you have the confidence of your coach. Go win some games. Nothing short of a good season is going to be acceptable for the Niners."
Kyle Brandt believes there is more pressure on head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch than Garoppolo. With a healthy quarterback and running backs, there are no more excuses for the team's head decision-makers.
"This is 'triple quotes'
the year for San Francisco and Kyle Shanahan," Brandt says. "You've got to win this year, and we've got to get to the playoffs. We've got to win nine, ten games."
Nate Burleson believes there is significant pressure on Garoppolo, who now has the weapons around him to succeed.
"He has [Jerick] McKinnon coming back," Burleson said. "He also has Tevin Coleman. So you have two capable running backs who can catch out of the backfield.
"Wide receiver might be a question but when you have George Kittle, who could be the best young tight end in the league, what are your excuses now? Let's go and show everybody why you earned that money."
Burleson believes that a quarterback like Garoppolo making as much money as he is should be able to elevate the play of everyone around him.
We are less than one week away from the NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers have their first day-one draft pick since 2021. That was the year they selected QB Trey Lance number three overall. The trade-up to get Lance cost the 49ers their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. And now that they are back in the first round, at pick 31, fans are anxious to see what the team does with the pick. And with former assistant GM, Adam Peters, now in Washington, it will be interesting to see how well the 49ers draft without Peters in the room.
We looked back at the seven drafts GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have led to see what information we could pull from those drafts. There were plenty of hits, plenty of misses, and a few surprises along the way. The draft picks are
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
