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Also, as a starter before this season, Garoppolo remained healthy past September just once in his career. Even this season, he suffered a calf injury during the first game of October.
If an injury didn't sideline Garoppolo, many felt inconsistent play might force head coach Kyle Shanahan to make a permanent move to the team's future—Lance. Since drafting Lance, the 49ers insisted that the plan was to ride with Garoppolo this season, allowing the inexperienced Lance time to learn. That inexperience isn't just referring to NFL reps. Lance only had one full collegiate season under his belt when San Francisco made him the No. 3 overall pick, and that came in 2019.
Garoppolo has been inconsistent at times this season. Most have accepted that's just who he is. Garoppolo is a quarterback you can win with, which the 49ers proved in 2019 and again this season, but he will not consistently carry the offense, which he proved in 2019 and again this season.
Garoppolo does show flashes, though. His most recent example? Going 6-of-6 for 77 yards and throwing the game-winning touchdown in the 49ers' final drive in overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
"I think he does really good in those situations," Shanahan said on Monday. "The game never seems too big for him. When you're going fast, there's not a lot of time to sit there and think. You just react. And usually, when Jimmy's reacting, he's letting it rip and not hesitating, and he's pretty automatic."
To his teammates, Garoppolo is a leader who they highly respect. His calm demeanor puts everyone at ease, even under the most intense situations, like needing a touchdown-scoring drive in overtime to seal the win on Sunday.
"Oh yeah, Jimmy's our leader," Brandon Aiyuk, who caught the game-winning score from Garoppolo, told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. "His ability to lead is great. Everybody shows up for him, we all feed off of him. And we just take it week by week. We know how this league works, we know exactly how it goes, and we enjoy everything the week that we have together. And that's about it. We see him as the leader of the team, and I'm gonna ride behind him."
On Monday, Peter King of NBC Sports caused some chatter, writing that San Francisco remains undecided on its quarterback situation for 2022 and beyond, indicating that Garoppolo's departure after this season isn't a lock. While most would say the 49ers transitioning from Garoppolo to Lance is still the most likely scenario, nothing in the NFL is a certainty.
Garoppolo leading the 49ers deep into the playoffs might make the team's decision-makers question the timing of a quarterback change. Much of that will depend on Lance's perceived development. The 49ers aren't willing to hand over the keys to what they feel should be a contending roster to a rookie this season. Has Lance learned enough in the meeting rooms and as the scout-team quarterback to prepare him to take over?
If the answer is "not yet," keeping a veteran who knows the offense inside and out may be an option. Will that happen? It might be safe to bet against it. However, before the season, many felt Lance becoming the permanent starting quarterback by now was a safe bet too.
"Honestly, with the possibilities, I try not to close any doors too early," Garoppolo said in November. "It's one of those situations, you've just got to let it play out, I think."
