placeholder image

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports


Baldy expects Jimmy Garoppolo to ‘keep getting better,’ thanks to Kyle Shanahan

Sep 1, 2020 at 11:41 AM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger joined 95.7 The Game on Monday morning and shared his thoughts on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who is finishing up his third offseason with the team.

Garoppolo made it through his first 16-game season as a starter in 2019. His 2018 campaign was cut short by an ACL injury, which makes what he did last season even more impressive. Coming off the significant injury, Garoppolo passed for 3,978 yards with 27 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a passer rating of 102.0.

More impressive, Garoppolo won 13 regular-season football games while guiding San Francisco to a division championship, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, and a Super Bowl appearance.

It was a performance that drew praise from Baldinger.

"Well, he threw for (nearly) 4,000 yards last year on a team that ran up and down the field against just about everybody," Baldinger said on The Morning Show. "I don't know how much better he can get. But I know this: as long as Kyle Shanahan is his coach, there's always ways to get better, whether it's ball mechanics, whether it's better decision-making, whether it's better touch on the deep ball.

"Whatever it is, the plays are always going to keep coming in the play-action, in how you execute those. I always think that, as long as Kyle's your coach, you're going to get better because he's going to make you better. It's a quarterback-friendly offense. You get a lot of easy throws because of the play-action and what it's designed to do.

"I think he can get better in the pocket. Last year, at this time, he was trying to figure out if he could move coming off an ACL injury, and he showed everybody that the rust came off. He got pretty good, and I expect him to keep getting better."

Robert Saleh believes Garoppolo has already improved his decision-making. The 49ers defensive coordinator was recently asked what kind of progress he's noticed this offseason from the team's quarterback.

"He seems more decisive," Saleh said. "A year ago, people forget it was really his second year, technically, starting because his first year, he got hurt really early. Some can argue that it was his first year starting. But his comfort level in the scheme, and what Kyle (Shanahan) and his staff are asking of him, and what each play is asking of him, he's much more decisive with the football, and he has such an amazing arm talent.

"The quicker he can be decisive, and when I say decisive, I mean just decisive where that ball is in his hands and out on his back foot when he hits his back foot in his drop. It's a thing beauty, and you're seeing more and more of it throughout camp where there's less 'Where do I do with the ball?' There's less holding onto it."

Said Shanahan, when asked about his defensive coordinator's assessment: "Yeah, I agree with that."

Still, the coach is eager to withhold judgment until Garoppolo has an opportunity to show how much he has progressed while facing a defense not made up of his teammates. The quarterback, after all, has been going against the same players for weeks now.

Shanahan continues to seek perfection from his quarterback. Even if some of his goals are unrealistic, you might as well shoot for the stars.

"Jimmy's been great," Shanahan said last week during a KNBR interview. "I want him to improve on (everything). I want him to never have an incompletion, and never have an interception. So, we're going to keep working on that until that gets done."

Garoppolo has no problem with Shanahan being a perfectionist. In fact, he sees it as a desirable quality in a coach.

"Yeah, that's what you want in your coach, though," Garoppolo said last week. "When your coach is like that, it trickles down to the other players. Me specifically, it's kind of how I am. So, I think we match up well in that department, but it's just, that's part of football.

"You want to be coached hard. You don't want, when a coach starts ignoring you, that's when you're in trouble. I love having Kyle as a coach. He pushes me. Like you said, he demands perfection, and that's what you want."

As for the conversation with Baldinger on 95.7 The Game, you can listen to the entire interview below.




Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

Kyle Shanahan: 49ers hope to keep Brandon Aiyuk, Brock Purdy together

By David Bonilla
Mar 26

Last week, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan ran into his wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas. "He was randomly at our hotel. I don't think he wanted to be," the coach shared on Tuesday while speaking to reporters at the NFL owners meetings. The 49ers are currently negotiating a long-term extension with Aiyuk to ensure he remains with the team for the foreseeable future. However, with it only being March, it's challenging to predict how everything will unfold. Typically, under the leadership of Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, the 49ers have reached agreements with their star players closer to training camp in July. Lynch stated yesterday that the


placeholder image

Jimmy Garoppolo explains why he signed with 49ers' division rival

By David Bonilla
Mar 20

Jimmy Garoppolo is back in the NFC West after signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback recently explained his decision to join the division rival after a one-season stint with the Las Vegas Raiders. "Obviously good players all around," Garoppolo said, per ESPN. "That's a big part of it. Talking to [head coach] Sean [McVay] on the phone, him just running me through offense and things that he had in mind, it really became appetizing. And I know a lot of the coaches here, so a lot of familiarity in that aspect. And then having played against the Rams a lot in my career, I've seen a lot of good things


placeholder image

Andy Reid praises 49ers' Brock Purdy, has advice for Kyle Shanahan

By David Bonilla
Mar 25

Super Bowl-winning head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs witnessed all he needed from Brock Purdy last season to assure him that the San Francisco 49ers are in capable hands at the quarterback position. Purdy was an MVP nominee in 2023 and had his 49ers just a play or two away from clinching a Super Bowl victory away from the Chiefs. Unfortunately, for Purdy and the 49ers, Reid and his own quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, widely regarded as the best in the game today, dashed their Super Bowl dreams in overtime last month. According to NBC Sports Bay Area, speaking at the NFL owners meetings on Monday, Reid stated, "Yeah, I


placeholder image

Kyle Shanahan explains why 49ers promoted Nick Sorensen to defensive coordinator

By David Bonilla
Mar 26

After Steve Wilks's dismissal, the San Francisco 49ers had several options for their vacant defensive coordinator position. Although former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley was considered for the role, he ultimately joined the coaching staff as the assistant head coach under head coach Kyle Shanahan. He will focus on game plan preparations while offering his experience to the team. Nick Sorensen, the team's defensive pass game specialist, was awarded the defensive coordinator position. Shanahan opted for an internal candidate, valuing Sorensen's familiarity with the staff and the defensive system. When asked what qualities Sorensen demonstrated to prove he's ready to call plays for the defense, Shanahan explained, "He's worked with a lot of people


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone