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There are a lot of paths a quarterback can take as he enters the NFL. You could have the reigns handed off to you by a former great, as Aaron Rodgers experienced in Green Bay, or you could be thrown to the wolves from the get-go like Peyton Manning.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who
joined KNBR on Thursday, had the benefit of sitting behind and learning from one of the all-time greats in
Tom Brady. He can't imagine a better path in preparing to become a starting NFL quarterback.
"I couldn't be happier with the path that I took, personally," Garoppolo said on the "Fitz and Brooks" show. "Things really worked out going to New England and then finding my way here. Just being able to see a guy like Tom, who has had so much success in this league. Just year after year, he keeps doing it. To see that, and be able to see that first hand, I couldn't have asked for anything better.
"I never really got the experience of being thrown in there as a rookie and having to figure it out. I played minimal amounts of snaps, kind of clean-up time as a rookie. I couldn't imagine it being very easy going from the college game to the pro game. There's so many variables; the change, the speed of the game, the offense.
"Most colleges don't even have a huddle, and now you're in the huddle calling plays. It takes time to get used to it."
Garoppolo spent most of last season as an observer thanks to the ACL injury he suffered in late-September. He was on the sideline once he was medically cleared to do so, traveled with the team, and took part in as many meetings as possible.
The situation gave Garoppolo a chance to see the game from a different perspective. On the sideline, he could look at the play sheet and try to predict what his head coach, Kyle Shanahan, would call under each situation.
Being on the sideline also allowed Garoppolo to watch the offense evolve game after game. The quarterback was encouraged to see playmakers like wide receiver Dante Pettis and running back Matt Breida emerge. He watched as the offensive line started to come together. Then, of course, you have
George Kittle. All he did was set a new NFL single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end.
"A lot of encouraging things going into this year with a good offseason so far, with the first couple of weeks of OTAs and everything," Garoppolo said. "We've just got to keep plugging away, take one day at a time and a lot of hard work."
You can listen to the entire interview with Garoppolo below.
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined
We're just over 24 hours before round one of the NFL Draft begins. The San Francisco 49ers are scheduled to have their first pick in the opening round since 2021 when they drafted Trey Lance. That didn't turn out well, but there is optimism that the team will be able to make its roster better over the next few days.
GM John Lynch spoke on Monday and said there's a possibility the team could trade out of the first round. I doubt that would go over well with the fanbase, especially since they haven't had a first-rounder in the past two years. But if it's a good trade that lands the 49ers some quality picks, we could see that happen, especially if there aren't any players at pick 31 that the team is excited about.
We opened up the 49ers Webzone Mailbag to see what
NFL Communications has officially announced the "NFL legends and active players" who will announce selections during Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Representing the San Francisco 49ers will be former defensive tackle Anthony "Spice" Adams, who spent four seasons with the team and nine in the NFL.
San Francisco selected Adams out of Penn State in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft.
The NFL's full announcement is below.
In the NFL's continuous effort to connect the game's greats with the next generation of stars, NFL Legends and active players will add to the excitement of the 2024 NFL Draft by announcing various selections and participating in festivities in Detroit.
Pro Football Hall of Famers Isaac
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
