San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo spoke with reporters for the first time since October. Of course, the first question presented to him surrounded his health. Garoppolo had been sidelined with a high-ankle sprain since Week 8.
"The ankle's doing good," Garoppolo said. "We're in a good spot right now. It's progressed just the way I want it to, really. It's not at 100 percent, but it's really just about getting reps at this point, getting endurance back to it, the durability and everything. I think once we do that, it'll be in a good spot, so I'm pretty happy where I'm at."
Garoppolo knows he needs to find a way to stay on the football field for his teammates. San Francisco owns a record of 22-8 with Garoppolo under center. However, the quarterback has now missed the majority of two of the last three seasons.
"The one thing I'm excited about is just getting ready for this offseason, and getting the body back to where it needs to be, getting ready for next season," Garoppolo continued. "There's so many things that I just have in mind and have planned, ready to go, and I'm ready to attack this offseason."
Garoppolo also isn't oblivious to the chatter from fans and the media. Many wonder if Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers will opt to go in another direction at quarterback should a better option present itself. Garoppolo was asked if he had personally received any assurances that he would be back in 2021 but sidestepped the question a bit by saying he loves being with the 49ers.
"All those things get said, but at the end of the day, I'm a Forty-Niner," Garoppolo responded. "I'm here to play quarterback. I'm here to be the quarterback of this team, and every day I go out there and try to prove that to my teammates and my coaches. And at the end of the day, that's what really matters."
Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have already offered votes of confidence in Garoppolo, saying that they expect him to be the starting quarterback next season. Garoppolo's teammates have also thrown their support behind the quarterback.
"The people in this building, I love them," Garoppolo added. "I love every one of them. Like I said before, it's a great group to be around. John and Kyle, I think they've talked to the media and said what they've said, and I love those guys for it. This is where I want to be, and I love it here."