San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo knocked off some rust on Monday night against the Denver Broncos. He indeed looked rusty, but it's important to remember that the quarterback has not played in a game in 11 months. Monday night was the first time that Garoppolo felt a real pass rush around him since he suffered an ACL injury in September of 2018. You know, one that was actually allowed to hit him.
Garoppolo looked unsettled against the Broncos and went 1-of-6 passing for no yards with an interception. It was not the return to the football field he likely envisioned.
Garoppolo's first outing in nearly a year wasn't a concern for the 49ers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The NFL insider pointed out that the quarterback has had an "uneven summer," looking strong at times in training camp. Of course, he also brought up Garoppolo's five-interception practice a week ago. It wasn't just five interceptions. It was five picks on five consecutive pass attempts.
The local and national media discussed the troublesome practice at length. The fact that it made national headlines in the first place says a lot about the expectations surrounding Garoppolo this season. A lot is riding on his shoulders with 2019, in a way, being a prove-it year for the signal-caller.
"I think when you hear that much talk and chatter (regarding the five-interception practice), maybe it impacts your confidence level," Schefter said on Tuesday morning.
Added Schefter, "This was his first game back, so this is all very new, and I don't think anybody there is alarmed in any kind of way right now. I think they do want him to make better decisions. They do want him to be more consistent. They do want him to make fewer mistakes, but they're hopeful that comes over time, and they're not concerned right now."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan is more concerned about getting Garoppolo enough in-game reps to feel comfortable again than he is with the quarterback's knee. In fact, Shanahan said if it weren't for the brace that Garoppolo wears reminding him, he might forget that his quarterback is coming off of an injury.
"You need to be in there a lot of snaps where you can feel the rush, the timing and the speed of the game with the coverages, with the receivers and stuff just throwing," Shanahan said after the game. "You can simulate that only in practices, but you're still never going to allow anyone to hit you.
"It's just getting back there and getting comfortable. Some guys don't come back from [an ACL injury] as well. Jimmy's been great. He came back, he's had no setbacks, and he's good to go. But Jimmy hasn't played a lot of football, and then he missed last year. So it's about getting him reps, putting him in different situations, and letting him play as much as possible."
Garoppolo will have a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the media on Saturday. Shanahan plans to have him play against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, which happens to be where the quarterback's injury occurred last year.