Things looked extremely bleak in the Bay Area on Monday following Sunday’s dominant 33-17 win over the streaking Miami Dolphins, when it was confirmed that Garoppolo was likely out for the year after breaking his foot early in the game.
That led to speculation that the Niners might try to claim former number 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield off waivers following his release by the Carolina Panthers.
Jimmy Garoppolo injury update
On Tuesday however things took another twist as a further Jimmy G update stated that he will not need surgery on the foot injury, there is no ligament damage and he could return in the playoffs assuming his rehab goes according to plan. And the Los Angeles Rams instead claimed Mayfield.
Losing Garoppolo for any time is a blow for San Francisco, which has looked like one of the league’s most impressive teams in recent weeks, peaking at just the right time. That impressive defeat of Miami was the fifth consecutive win for a franchise which was firing on all cylinders.
With original starting QB Trey Lance already done for the year through injury, it was seventh-round draft pick Brock Purdy who stepped in to complete that victory over the Dolphins. But it is hard to see ‘Mr Irrelevant’ (the name given to the very last pick of any draft) taking San Fran to a Super Bowl win.
Now though things look a little brighter for a team which is sitting on 8-4 with a one-game lead over the Seattle Seahawks at the top of the NFC West. And the deal the Niners did to retain Garoppolo’s services for 2022 - originally as backup to Lance - continues to look like a masterstroke.
49ers schedule: Remaining games for San Francisco
While Garoppolo rehabs, the huge question is whether the 49ers can hold out to win the West and claim the #3 seed in the NFC playoffs. Their remaining schedule looks like this:
- Week 14: vs Tampa Bay
- Week 15: @ Seattle (Thursday Night Football)
- Week 16: vs Washington
- Week 17: @ Las Vegas
- Week 18: vs Arizona
As you can see, not the easiest finish for a team with issues at the quarterback position. Tampa, Seattle and Washington are all in the hunt for playoff berths, and that Seahawks game could decide the NFC West division race.
The positive note for the Niners is that Kyle Shanahan’s innovative scheme has never prioritised the QB position. The diverse group of playmakers this team has - headed by Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle - can win in so many different ways.
Betting response to the Garoppolo injury was predictably bleak for San Francisco though - they went out to 11/1 from a previous single-digit mark and this has since been boosted to 14/1 by Sky Bet.
