That's why it is a bit surprising to hear Simms, who joined KNBR on Thursday, call Garoppolo a dark-horse candidate for the NFL's Most Valuable Player award.
"If you have a little extra money, throw that down for MVP," Simms said of Garoppolo on the "Murph and Mac" show after praising the 49ers' head coach and his close friend, Kyle Shanahan. "I think he could be that dark-horse guy. What is an MVP? It goes to the quarterback every year, right? To a team that's successful.
"If [the 49ers] turn it around and have this year where they go 10-6, and he's up there as far as one of the top-rated quarterbacks in football, I think he could be in that conversation."
Patrick Mahomes won the honor after last season's campaign that saw the Kansas City Chiefs' second-year quarterback passing for 5,097 yards with 50 touchdowns.
RELATED
Garoppolo, on the other hand, saw his first season as an NFL team's bonafide starting quarterback end during a Week 3 outing in Kansas City after suffering a torn ACL. The 49ers and their fans hope to get a full season out of their starting quarterback this year and finally turn a corner as an organization.
"I hope it works out for Garoppolo," Simms added.
The former NFL quarterback turned analyst for NBC Sports acknowledges that Garoppolo could have a slow start this season. Simms, after all, is no stranger to returning from a significant injury. He suffered a ruptured spleen during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"He hasn't played a ton of football, so he's going to get back on the field a little bit and be like, 'Man, this is a little unfamiliar. I haven't been out here in a while with DeForest Buckner around me and (Nick) Bosa.'"
You can listen to the entire conversation with Simms below.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
ESPN names 49ers' breakout candidate for the 2026 season
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Upton Stout showed plenty of promise during his rookie season in 2025, appearing in 16 games and making four starts, totaling 593 defensive snaps. Now, the 49ers are hoping the young defensive back takes another step forward in 2026 and becomes a... -
49ers warned of 'recipe for disaster' that could derail 2026 season
Injuries devastated the San Francisco 49ers during the 2025 season. Despite the setbacks, the team still managed to win 12 regular-season games, earn a playoff berth, and secure a postseason victory while playing without several key contributors for much of the year. The... -
Insider: If a QB goes down, the first call could be to the 49ers
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted he was "really surprised" that no teams called during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to inquire about backup quarterback Mac Jones. While the 49ers weren't actively shopping Brock Purdy's backup, the team has made it... -
49ers could recoup up to $18.4 million from Brandon Aiyuk
Brandon Aiyuk's ongoing standoff with the San Francisco 49ers could end up saving the team millions. The 49ers signed the wide receiver to a four-year, $120 million contract extension in 2024, shortly before he suffered season-ending ACL and MCL injuries. However, after Aiyuk...