49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo ranks No. 14 in NFL.com’s Week 1 QB Index

Throughout the 2020 NFL season, Chris Wesseling of NFL.com will rank the league's signal-callers in his QB Index. This year's first installment of the ranking was released on Thursday night, and the writer has San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo listed at No. 14, with names like Jared Goff, Ryan Tannehill, and others listed above him.

Garoppolo is, however, listed one spot above Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, whom Garoppolo's 49ers will face on Sunday to open the season. The San Francisco quarterback also ranks above names like Tom Brady and Kirk Cousins.

"Here's a dirty little secret about these lists -- and football punditry in general: It's easy to find supporting evidence for several conflicting viewpoints," wrote Wesseling. "Garoppolo threw too many interceptable passes and seemed to lose his offensive guru's trust in the season's defining moments. On the other hand, he was the only quarterback to finish the regular season ranked in the top five in completion rate (69.1), yards per attempt (8.4) and touchdown passes (27)."

Wesseling also noted comments made Wednesday morning by Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who shared how impressed he was with Garoppolo in the two matchups with the 49ers last season.

"He played as good as anybody played against us all year in both games," Kingsbury said. "So I'm a big fan of his. I think he's a special talent."

In addition to the 69.1 completion percentage and 27 touchdowns, Garoppolo passed for 3,978 yards with 13 interceptions last season. He looks to guide his team back to the Super Bowl this season and make amends for February's fourth-quarter collapse against the Kansas City Chiefs.