San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk is among the best blockers in the league. He is used to protecting his quarterback in games. Juszczyk, however, probably didn't expect to have to protect Jimmy Garoppolo the entire offseason too.
Juszczyk joined 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore on Friday morning and, as is always the case, was asked about the development of his quarterback, who shouldered much of the blame for the 49ers' fourth-quarter collapse against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
Many also question head coach Kyle Shanahan's trust in his quarterback after watching Garoppolo's pass attempt total significantly drop in the playoffs.
"I just think he's going to continue to grow," Juszczyk told Jason La Canfora and Ken Weinman. "I feel like I've been his bodyguard this offseason, sticking up for him to everybody who's trying to take shots. I think there's no doubt that he's just going to continue to improve. It's his first season as a full-year starter, and he led us to a Super Bowl, had some incredible games."
Juszczyk points out Garoppolo's impressive performance during the regular season against the New Orleans Saints when he completed 74.3 percent of his passes for 349 yards and tossed four touchdowns, leading San Francisco to a 48-46 win in a hostile road environment.
"It takes a while to really master Kyle Shanahan's offensive scheme, especially from the quarterback position," Juszczyk continued. "He has more on his plate than anybody. So, the more time that he gets to digest that, get more repetitions with it, he's just going to continue to get better."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Juszczyk below.
Note: The title of this article has been modified since the initial title may have given the impression that Kyle Juszczyk was tired of defending Jimmy Garoppolo, rather than the fullback being tired of hearing his quarterback being criticized. The former was never the intended interpretation.
