Jimmy Garoppolo will miss a significant amount of time. Many feel the quarterback has played his last snap with the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters on Tuesday and explained that Garoppolo is expected to miss at least six weeks but didn't close the door on the quarterback returning — either this season or in the future.
Of course, much of that depends on the severity of Garoppolo's most recent injury.
Shanahan did explain that the ankle injury sustained on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks wasn't a reaggravation of the high-ankle sprain he suffered during Week 2. It was a new injury and one that was much worse than the last.
"He essentially had a whole new [high-ankle sprain], just on the same foot," Shanahan told reporters on Tuesday. "When you have those high-ankle sprains, you reinjure them a lot, but it was a different way that he did it, so it's basically doing it all over again in a different way.
"That's usually four to six weeks with those high-ankle sprains. It is worse than the last one. That's why surgery is an option. We're just getting different doctors' opinions now. Whatever is best for him long-term is obviously what we'll decide on. But if he does need the surgery, then it will be all year. If not, then hoping six weeks; get a chance to get back at the end."
Shanahan added regarding Garoppolo's injury: "It was bad. He tried hard to come back, and I'm glad the docs wouldn't let him because it ended up being worse than we thought."
The coach said the injury doesn't really impact his evaluation of Garoppolo.
"I've got a good idea with Jimmy," Shanahan shared, "and what Jimmy is capable of doing, and that's why he's been here. It's just people get better when they play more, and that's what I feel for Jimmy on. One, Jimmy gives us the best chance to win. He's proven that. And it's hard that he's not going to be here for, to me, probably about at least six weeks, because it's harder to win without him.
"Regardless of that, I want Jimmy playing as much as possible because I know when he does, he'll only get better from the experiences of it. I think that would be the most frustrating thing about it after having the best chance to win."
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