Maybe all is not lost for the San Francisco 49ers. If the defense can carry the team into the playoffs and the Niners make a deep run, perhaps we will see Jimmy Garoppolo again.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 49ers quarterback, once thought to be lost for the season to a broken foot suffered on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, does not need surgery after all. And there is a chance he could return in seven to eight weeks, per the NFL insider.
Sources: Doctors concluded today that 49ers' QB Jimmy Garoppolo does not need foot surgery, it is not a Lisfranc injury, and if rehab goes smoothly, he could have a chance to return in 7-8 weeks, making him a potential playoff contributor. pic.twitter.com/beYu1Pa9KU
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 6, 2022
On Monday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Garoppolo was speaking with foot specialists to confirm his injury's severity.
"They were talking about that a lot last night (Sunday), but it seems like they're starting to believe that it isn't," Shanahan told reporters when asked if it might have been a Lisfranc injury. "So that is good news, but it's not all for sure done yet. Some specialists have got to finalize it, so we don't want to give you guys any false information. But they're discussing all those things. We're feeling like it's starting to get better than that, so we'll see when we get the official information."
Schefter said the following on ESPN: "The report from the doctors today was much more optimistic and upbeat than the one on Sunday night after the game when doctors thought he would be six months, when he would need surgery on the broken foot. The foot is broken, but it's possible now that he could be back in seven to eight weeks."
The new timeline would put Garoppolo's return right around the second round of the playoffs, at the earliest, so a lot will need to go right for the 49ers until then.
It will be rookie Brock Purdy helming the 49ers offense until then, hopefully keeping the quarterback seat warm for Garoppolo, should he be able to return. Garoppolo became the second Niners starting quarterback thought to be lost for the season. Trey Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in week 2.
The 49ers also officially signed quarterback Josh Johnson on Tuesday. He will serve as Purdy's backup.