Jimmy Garoppolo; Super Bowl winning quarterback. That will one day be a headline that you will read. Though the 49ers signal caller came up short in the biggest moment of his career in Super Bowl 54, there are many more moments to come.
Garoppolo is 28 years old coming off his first full season as an NFL starter. Recency bias has caused many to question the ability of this rising star. The final 3 games of the 49ers season have caused some to neglect the 16 games that came prior. In those 16 games (the NFL regular season), Garoppolo ranked 5th in completion percentage, 5th in touchdown passes, 8th in passer rating and 3rd in yards per attempt. All of this, in his first full season as a starter.
Despite the statistical production, the Super Bowl appearance and winning over the entire locker room, some still doubt Jimmy G. Many attribute all this success to head coach Kyle Shanahan. While Shanahan does play a pivotal role in the 49ers offensive performance, his record without Jimmy Garoppolo is 4-20. All the magic that he was capable of never transferred to Brian Hoyer, C.J. Beathard or Nick Mullens. Shanahan is an abject failure of a head coach when anyone but Garoppolo is under center.
So please, let's hold off talks of Tom Brady or Kirk Cousins. Recognize that the 49ers have the very best QB that they could have, and Garoppolo and Shanahan are much better together than they are apart. Sit back, relax and enjoy having a true franchise QB 49ers fans.
2019 Performance
Statistically Jimmy Garoppolo performed at a high level in 2019. As mentioned prior, he ranked in the top 10 in many quarterbacking categories. Overall, Garoppolo registered 3,978 passing yards, 8.4 yards per attempt, 27 passing touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Pro Football Focus graded Garoppolo out at a 78.2. Grading him just above players like Atlanta QB Matt Ryan (75.8) and Philadelphia QB Carson Wentz (75.6) and just below players like New England QB Tom Brady (80.4) and Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers (81.2).
2020 Cost
Garopplo carries a cap hit of $26 million in 2020. If the 49ers were to release Garoppolo before 4/1/20 they could save $22 million in cap space. If the 49ers were to trade Garoppolo before 6/1/20 they would save the same number, $22 million. If the 49ers were to release Garoppolo between 4/1/20-6/1/20 they would only save $6.7 million in cap space.
Future Outlook
The 49ers would be foolish to walk away from Jimmy Garoppolo. Not winning the Super Bowl doesn't mean you cannot win a Super Bowl. Garoppolo has the ability to go down in history as one of the true 49ers greats, at only 28 it is reasonable to believe he has another decade of solid football in the tank and he is just entering his prime. Jimmy is the man and if you can't see that, go get your eyes checked.
- Gilbert Brink
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Written by:49ers outsider, residing in the Hudson Valley, representing 30+ years of the 49ers experience
