All eyes on Jimmy Garoppolo’s 49ers rebirth, from Denver’s coach to Tampa’s Tom Brady
SANTA CLARA — Jimmy Garoppolo’s 49ers rebirth has the Denver Broncos on mile-high alert for his signature, quick-draw passes Sunday night.
“He does a great job running that system and getting the ball out,” Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said Wednesday on a media conference call with Bay Area reporters.
That system is Kyle Shanahan’s, and one that is so familiar to Garoppolo, it was a reason he opted to return here as a backup than stray into the NFL’s not-as-enticing hostels.
That system took on extra dimensions — namely: more option runs — with Garoppolo’s (temporary) successor, Trey Lance, who officially went on injured reserve after season-ending surgery Monday to repair his right-ankle fracture.
“Obviously there’ll be changes schematically but that’s not a problem,” center Jake Brendel said.
Garoppolo hasn’t changed his game-week approach, in terms of extra hours studying film or digging deeper into data, saying: “Nothing different than what I’ve done in the past.”
Added Shanahan: “He’s the same as he’s been the last two weeks, and since he’s been here.”
QB1 Jimmy Garoppolo throws to QB coach Brian Griese (QB3 Kurt Benkert follows, but QB2 Brock Purdy earlier did his throws) pic.twitter.com/QIOznd174X
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) September 21, 2022
Former 49ers quarterback Steve Young suggested, in a Sept. 2 interview with this news organziation, that Garoppolo needed to change whatever perception around the NFL kept him from getting a starting job elsewhere, even though March 8 shoulder surgery certainly factored into that.
Said Young: “This is a period of time he can start change narrative, whether it’s first guy in, last guy out, memorization, owning the data, processing. Whatever’s out there that’s keeping him from getting a starting job, he needs to change.”
Well, Garoppolo looked a bit more carefree as he winged the ball around (without a turnover) in relief of Lance in Sunday’s 27-7, home-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks. Now he’ll put his 35-16 starting record for the 49ers (playoffs included) on the line Sunday night against the Broncos and former NFC West counterpart Russell Wilson.
“He has an amazing release,” Hackett added of Garoppolo. “He has the ability to get the ball out quick, (he) makes quick (and) fast decisions.”
As for Garoppolo’s successfully coping through 1 1/2 years of quarterback turmoil, Shanahan said; “He’s like that in every situation since we met him. He tries to simplify things and not get caught up in all that stuff. He communicates with us. It’s why guys love him, and we all do.”
The Broncos (1-1) made their own quarterback switch back in March, when they traded for Wilson, a week after Garoppolo had throwing-shoulder surgery to effectively shutter his trade market and vault him into psuedo-exile with the 49ers until committing last month to return on a revised contract.
“I obviously heard about it a little bit,” Hackett said of Garoppolo’s state. “I didn’t know the total extent of it but I do know there was a bit of a saga going on, having so much experience going against him, so much respect for him and his game.”
Among those “really happy” to see Garoppolo’s return is Bucs’ quarterback Tom Brady, whom Garoppolo backed up his first 3 1/2 seasons with the New England Patriots.
“I think everyone is probably pretty happy with how things turned out from Jimmy’s standpoint — obviously not with Trey and the injury — but things have a crazy way of working out,” Brady said Monday night on his “Let’s Go!” SiriusXM podcast with Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray.
“You never know what that opportunity’s gonna present itself, and when you get it, you gotta go out and take advantage of it,” Brady added. “So I was really happy for Jimmy to go in there and do a great job (Sunday).”
On Tuesday’s NFL Total Access on the league’s network, ex-Patriots star Willie McGinnist said: “This is the new Jimmy G. Will he take advantage of his opportunity?” That soundbite came on “NFL Total Access,” after former NFL quarterback David Carr said of Garoppolo: “You’ve got another chance, man. He’s playing with house money in my opinion. Go out there and make the best of it.”
Garoppolo’s surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, has pronounced the 49ers’ quarterback fully healthy from March 8 surgery “he absolutely needed to have done.” “… It looks as good as we could have hoped,” ElAttrache recently told The Athletic’s Jeff Howe. “The tissue is healed. His range of motion is there. Any part of measurable strength that I can do has all returned to normal.”
Unable to throw for 16 weeks after surgery, Garoppolo ramped up his throwing program to include 40- to 50-yard passes on the side field during 49ers’ camp in August. . “It’s the shorter-range, quicker passes though — those are the ones when you know that he’s back,” added ElAtrache.
Dr. Nirav Pandya of UCSF Orthopedic Surgery likes what he saw from afar of Garoppolo’s shoulder recovery. “It actually looked great. When he came in (to Sunday’s game), I said, ‘Does it look like he has more velocity on the ball?’ ” Pandya said on 95.7 The Game. “Probably for the first time in Jimmy’s career, he had to work and rehab on his shoulder and maybe it’s potentially come back stronger.”
RUNNING MEN
Tevin Coleman is making a 49ers’ encore, albeit on the practice squad. He started 13 games in 2019, including the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl, then returned in 2020 before playing last season with the New York Jets. With Elijah Mitchell (groin) out until November and Ty Davis-Price shelved by a high-ankle sprain, the 49ers’ called up Marlon Mack to the active roster, and he’ll be a backfield option with rookie Jordan Mason, who’s yet to take an offensive snap. With 84 yards Sunday, Jeff Wilson Jr. has run for a team-high 106 yards this season, 1 yard more than Deebo Samuel, who also has 53 receiving yards on seven catches.
INJURY UPDATES
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead surfaced on the injury report with a foot issue that will keep him from practicing Wednesday, though Shanahan said “he’ll be alright.” Neither he nor Davis-Price (ankle) were in orthopedic boots as they walked to the weight room Wednesday.
Tight end George Kittle (groin) impressed but was limited in a second straight practice. Others not participating: offensive linemen Daniel Brunskill (hamstring) and Trent Williams (rest), and tight end Tyler Kroft (knee).
‘BO’ AMONG HALL NOMINEES
NaVorro Bowman’s reaction to joining 129 nominees for the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, in his first year of eligibility: “Let the wait Begin. BLESSED! #HOF Nominated.” His fellow linebacker, Patrick Willis, reached the finalist stage last season in his third year on the ballot. Willis is nominated this year, as are ex-49ers Justin Smith, Takeo Spikes, Merton Hanks, Tim McDonald, Jeff Garcia, Ricky Watters, Anquan Boldin, Wesley Walls and Gary Anderson.
QB BENKERT’S BIO
What do you need to know about quarterback Kurt Benkert, who got signed to the practice squad after auditioning Tuesday with Mike Glennon, A.J. McCarron, Garrett Gilbert and Stanford product Kevin Hogan?
Well, there’s the primary fact that Benkert spent most of last season on the Packers’ practice squad, thus familiarizing himself with offensive concepts similar to the 49ers’.
Then there’s this information via Benkert’s Twitter account: his fantasy football team includes Deebo Samuel and the 49ers defense; his quarterback is Josh Allen. “I’m definitely not going to shift that up now. Let’s keep rolling,” Benkert said. “I’ve been watching (Deebo) for a while, even last year when I was with Green Bay. Everyone in the league has a lot of respect for him, how he plays and how we utilize him here in San Francisco.”
Released in June by the Packers, Benkert didn’t sit idle awaiting this 49ers’ gig. He has own consulting business with tech companies, blending his social-media platform and gaming knowledge. Said Benkert: “One of my partners reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, while you’re in Silicon Valley, you should leverage that.’ It’s been cool. It’s something I stumbled into, something I was passionate about that’s turned into a business, and it’s put on the back-burner during football season.”
Benkert’s only action with the Packers: two kneeldowns in a December cameo as a COVID replacement against Chicago. He got released in June. Undrafted out of Virginia, he spent 2018-20 with the Atlanta Falcons.
LEAGUE LEADERS
The 49ers rank first in time of possession (35 minutes, 54 seconds), thanks in large part to their No. 4 rushing attack (182.5 yards per game) and the NFL’s stingiest defense (210 yards per game). That 49ers defense is yielding on average 142.5 passing yards and 67.5 rushing yards per game. Denver’s defense is third-best at 243.5 total yards per game.