San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is returning from the torn ACL he suffered last September. If healthy, he is expected to provide enough of a boost to the team to give head coach Kyle Shanahan his best chance yet at a successful season.
Garoppolo expects to be full-go for training camp after being held out of 11-on-11 team drills during the 49ers' offseason program.
"I'm good to go. Finally," Garoppolo recently told Pro Football Talk.
Fans would probably like to see Garoppolo perform so well that he is a candidate for the league's Most Valuable Player award. While that would be an uphill battle, the quarterback is the favorite to win another award — the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year — according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The award is given to a player who has shown perseverance in overcoming adversity such as a severe injury, like Garoppolo's.
💰NEW ON #DKSportsbook💰
Odds on NFL Comeback Player of the Year, headlined by Jimmy G. pic.twitter.com/mWfKsBJNqZ
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) July 11, 2019
The Comeback Player of the Year award can also be given to a player who did not play the previous year or played poorly. The two individuals with the best odds after Garoppolo are New York Jets running back Le'Veon Bell and Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman. Bell sat out the 2018 season during a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers before becoming a free agent, and Freeman landed on injured reserve after undergoing groin surgery.
While Garoppolo is entering his sixth NFL season, he has started just 10 games throughout his pro career. He completed 53-of-89 attempts (59.6 percent) for 718 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions through three starts with the 49ers in 2018.
H/t to Patrick Tulini for the find.