In September of 2017, the New England Patriots traded Jimmy Garoppolo, the supposed heir to Tom Brady, to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
John Lynch and the 49ers were so enthused that they hit the jackpot that they signed Garoppolo to a record 5-year, $137.5M extension. The deal was, at the time, the largest in NFL history based on average-per-year basis.
In Week 13, Garoppolo made his much-anticipated 49ers starting debut against the Chicago Bears. He finished with 293 yards, 0 TD, and 1 INT. His finishing QBR stood at 82.4. Despite the shaky performance, San Francisco won the game by a score of 15-14. In fact, the 49ers never lost a game that season, as Garoppolo led the team to a five-game win streak to close out the year.
With expectations at an all-time high for San Francisco heading into the following season, their worst nightmare came to life. In Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL to end his season. The 49ers finished the season with a record of 4-12.
Many believe that 2019 will be the year that Garoppolo plays a full season and makes the 49ers a competitive team in the NFC West. As training camp began this summer, the reports have not been kind to the 27-year old.
Even some of the most well-known sources are comparing Jimmy Garoppolo to Oakland Raiders’ Nathan Peterman after throwing five consecutive interceptions during a practice session.
Which leads into Monday night, where Garoppolo made his preseason debut against the Denver Broncos.
While practice and preseason is nothing to sweat over, how worried should 49ers fans be? Garoppolo is notorious for his accuracy, but has yet to find a rhythm with just weeks to go until the 2019 season is underway. While we aren’t hitting the panic button quite yet, our eyes are peeled.
Photo Credit: SB Nation
