49ers players never expected Jimmy Garoppolo to be replaced, says Arik Armstead

All Jimmy Garoppolo did last season was help lead the San Francisco 49ers to a division championship, a 13-3 regular-season record, and then a Super Bowl appearance in his first full season as a starter. His 3,978 passing yards in 2019 rank fourth all-time in franchise history with only Steve Young and Jeff Garcia throwing for more in a single season.

Still, the quarterback found himself the topic of much discussion. A sub-topic, actually.

Many speculated that San Francisco might be an ideal landing spot for free-agent quarterback and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. That led many to wonder what might happen to Garoppolo should that hypothetical scenario take place.

Teammates, like defensive lineman Arik Armstead, heard the rumors but were never too concerned. They believe in Garoppolo and know he will be their quarterback for the foreseeable future.

"We hear stuff just like the fans and everybody else in the media hears stuff," Armstead told Steve Wyche of NFL Network on Wednesday. "It's funny to look at and see, but when you're in the building, and you know what Jimmy has brought to our team, putting us on the right track, really turning around our organization, you don't expect anything like that to change.

"He's our guy, he's the leader of our team, and he's going to continue to do that."

Meanwhile, Brady did end up leaving the New England Patriots, but it wasn't for the Bay Area. At least, not the West Coast one. The 42-year-old quarterback will sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and likely finish his illustrious career there.