How Good Can Jimmy Garoppolo Be in 2019?
He burst onto the scene in 2017. Then he lost most of his 2018 season with an ACL tear. In 2019, with an improved roster, creative coach and good health, there’s a feeling that we haven’t even seen the best of Jimmy Garoppolo… yet.
The San Francisco 49ers came into 2018 with high hopes. After years of mediocrity, the 49ers were finally ready to right the ship. The Jimmy Garoppolo hype train was in full effect as fans echoed that statement, “he hasn’t lost a game his entire career.”
Jimmy Garoppolo went 5–0 to end the 2017 season. But it wasn’t just that. He took a team that was 1–10 and ignited a spark, bringing new hope to this San Fran team. With Kyle Shanahan, one of the brightest minds in coaching, the pairing of his skills with the pieces on the roster is an excellent step in the right direction for the whole 49ers organization and its future success.
Unfortunately, not everything works out the way you hope it will. In 2018, Garoppolo went 1–2 as the starter before tearing his ACL and was lost for the season. But even before the injury, he didn’t look the same. So naturally, fans started to question it. Was it just a slow start? Was he still learning the offense? Or was the magic gone? So I ask, do you believe in magic?
Heir To The Throne
When the New England Patriots took Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2nd round back in 2014, it was clear the Pats viewed Garoppolo as Tom Brady’s successor. Brady was 36 and his career was said to be “just about finished.”
When Garoppolo got the opportunity, he flashed serious promise. During Brady’s 2016 suspension, Garoppolo went 2–0 while throwing 4 TDs to 0 INTs. So it only made sense Garoppolo would take over for Brady. Right? Wrong.
After allowing Garoppolo to ride the bench for three years, the Pats finally pulled the trigger sending Jimmy G to the 49ers in a mid-season trade. San Francisco gave up a 2nd round pick in return,which was a hefty price for a guy who had two career starts to his name. But after Garoppolo had that marvelous end to the season, it all seemed to have worked out.
A Very Underrated Arm
Garoppolo’s 2017 season was no fluke. Before Garoppolo, this was a team with no weapons, no defense, no wins. I mean, the No. 1 wide receiver was Marquise Goodwin. The stat sheet wasn’t anything crazy; a 6:5 TD to INT ratio is nothing to get excited about. Still, Garoppolo’s impact was felt in the win column. Sound familiar?
Time and time again, we’ve seen Tom Brady do it just like this. When he has a so-so roster, Brady’s stats may take a dip, but the guy still ends up with a Super Bowl ring. In 2017, Garoppolo did what great quarterbacks are expected to do, win with nothing. Andrew Luck went 11–5 each of his first three seasons with lackluster rosters. There’s a reason people knew he would be elite.
When Garoppolo came to San Fran, he showed us something nobody knew he ever had: A lightning-quick release. He slings the ball with ease, on time and on target. He can snap the ball and make throws that are impossible for others. That being said, the one knock on Jimmy G, is his deep ball accuracy. But it’s also not a necessity.
Dominating that short-to-intermediate range keeps the chains moving and wins up. It helps dominate time of possession and keeps quarterbacks efficient. The deep ball is one of the most beautiful things in sports, but the all-time greats need to be able to work the shorter areas. Garoppolo showed he can do exactly that. Getting the ball to his receivers in prime position, he allowed them to flourish.
While Garoppolo didn’t blow anyone away in the TD department, it’s more of a testament to the lack of a supporting cast he had. Despite that, he still completed 67.4% of his passes and his 16-game pace would have had him throwing for 4,934 yards. The Niners were genuinely better with Garoppolo under center. They scored 28.8 PPG during those five games in 2017, which would have ranked 2nd in the league that year.
The Kyle Shanahan Effect
Andy Reid, Sean McVay, Bruce Arians. There are certain coaches that come to mind when we think “bright offensive minds.” Their creative, innovate style brings the best out of players. They can turn average into good, and great into elite. But for all the names out there, Kyle Shanahan might just be at the top of the list.
As offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons, Shanahan coaxed an MVP season out of Matt Ryan and a 136 catch, 1,871-yard season out of Julio Jones. Both were First-Team All-Pro that year. But they weren’t just meaningless stats, as Atlanta’s #1 ranked offense was the driving force behind their Super Bowl run.
Shanahan did it in Washington, building an offense that made Robert Griffin III Offensive Rookie of the Year back in 2012. He made Nick Mullens look good in 2018. Shanahan’s play calls are flawless. His play designs are deceiving. He’s creative. He schemes guys wide open, making life very easy for his quarterback.
But perhaps most important, he hones in on his talent. Whether it’s his second running back, fourth tight end, or third full back, Shanahan puts his skill players in a position to succeed. When Garoppolo arrived on the scene back in 2017, it was clear that the pairing was going to make for a very exciting show.
A Reloaded Offense
Even though he went down with the ACL tear, it was clear the 49ers needed to surround Garoppolo with more talent. They did exactly that this offseason. With the 2nd and 3rd round draft picks of Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd (both wide receivers), the 49ers have added some exciting young talent to this roster.
Quietly, the 49ers already had a very solid receiving core before the draft. Goodwin had his moments the past few years, Jordan Matthews could be a very solid depth piece and de facto No. 1 WR Dante Pettis really showed out as a rookie last season. But George Kittle is the real prize here. The sophomore had 88 catches and 1,377 yards in 2018, unprecedented numbers for a tight end. Kittle could be crowned as the “best tight end in the NFL” by the end of the 2019 season.
San Fran added Tevin Coleman at running back, who had his best years under Shanahan in Atlanta. Coleman adds to a very deep backfield that holds Matt Breida, Jerick McKinnon, and even Raheem Mostert, who shined in spot starts last season. The 49ers have built a versatile backfield that fits the modern NFL very well.
Also under the radar last season was a very solid offensive line. Despite the team dealing with a myriad of injuries, this was a unit that held up very well under scrutiny. Jimmy G will come into 2019 in a very different situation. With a ton of weapons to work with, all the pieces are there for success.
It’s Time To Lead
Then there’s the other side of the coin. Jimmy Garoppolo is 27 years old and he has a total of 10 starts to his name. To some, he’s still unproven. And frankly, they aren’t wrong. For all the great things Garoppolo has done, for all the flashes of promise, he’s yet to put consistent production on the stat sheet. In the NFL, as in sports, nothing speaks louder than production.
In 2019, Garoppolo will need to put everything together and prove he’s the franchise quarterback we all want him to be. Is he too turnover prone? Or was the lack of a supporting cast. It’s these sort of questions that need be answered this season. To me, it’s the latter, but Garoppolo needs to go out and make that belief a reality.
We’ve seen the flashes of brilliance. The difficult throws, the ability to extend plays, Garoppolo just needs to prove he can do it on a consistent basis. Can Jimmy Garoppolo be elite? There isn’t a doubt in mind he will be.
All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.
