The road to recovery has started for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Garoppolo had surgery on Wednesday morning to repair the torn ACL in his left knee, which he suffered during a Week 3 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. While Garoppolo is expected to be healthy for the start of the 2019 season, Shanahan says doesn't have any information on when his quarterback will be able to take part in team activities again.
"It's way too early," Shanahan told reporters before Wednesday's practice. "When he wakes up and I talk to the doctors who did it, we'll get some clarity."
Garoppolo started three games before his injury and completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 718 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in those games. The 49ers were 1-2 with Garoppolo as the starter, but the quarterback was leading a comeback in Kansas City before his exit.
"I know I'm extremely excited about Jimmy being here next year," Shanahan said on September 24. "Jimmy is a very talented quarterback. He's played at a high level in the games that he has played."
Once Garoppolo is able to return to the team, he will sit and watch as second-year quarterback C.J. Beathard continues to lead the team in his absence.
"It'll help him to sit and watch more, especially to sit there and watch C.J. go through this," Shanahan said. "When we get into the offseason, we'll get an early start with him going through his rehab and everything. I think it'll make him that much more hungry next year. There's not a doubt in my mind that he'll come back and be the exact same guy."
The New England Patriots made Garoppolo a second-round draft pick out of Eastern Illinois in 2014. San Francisco acquired him from New England on October 30, 2017, in exchange for a second-round draft pick. Garoppolo passed for 1,560 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions in his six appearances, five starts, and five wins last season.