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Jimmy Garoppolo had played mistake free for more than 40 minutes of action inside SoFi Stadium on Sunday, January 30 — directing the San Francisco 49ers offense, escaping from the clutches of defenders on the Los Angeles Rams and firing two touchdown passes…with a “zero” underneath his interception stat line.
But one final drive led to an all-too-common mistake from the 49ers’ QB1 — and that miscue could very well be his last pass ever in a 49ers uniform.
The 30-year-old tried to make a play through chaos with Aaron Donald applying the pressure to his back. Von Miller also had a shot at a half of sack with Donald, until Garoppolo flung the ball toward his nearest receiving option JaMycal Hasty. The ball was too high for Hasty which bounced off his hands…then fell into the hands of Travin Howard of the Rams.
It became Garoppolo’s first and only pick of that game, but his seventh interception in his final five games of the season as the Rams celebrated their fifth NFC conference championship by holding on for the 20-17 victory.
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But now the burning question: Was that interception the last official S.F. play for a ‘Niners quarterback who once signed a five-year, $137.5 million deal with the team?
Garoppolo Answers Questions About Future
With little to smile about this time, Garoppolo took the fastballs fired off by the number of reporters who bombarded him about that mistake and where he’ll be in 2022.
Garoppolo first verbally illustrated what this crushing loss felt like to him and the ‘Niners, especially after blowing a 10-point fourth quarter lead.
“They (the losses) hit pretty hard in the locker room. I think in these next couple of days, it’ll start to settle in a little bit,” Garoppolo said. “Emotions ride after every game — win or loss. It’s just one of those things where you’ve got to be glad it happened and smile from it and think about the good things.”
Yet, what about his future in the Bay Area?
“We’ll see what happens in these next couple of days, weeks or whatever,” Garoppolo said.
If this truly was the end, Garoppolo will look back fondly at the grit of the 49ers, who came back from a 3-5 start to becoming a touchdown away from securing their eighth conference championship.
“But I love this team. The fight and battle from this team throughout the entire year has been really impressive, and I love those guys,” Garoppolo said.
His segment can be heard below:
Via Associated Press writer Josh Dubow, Garoppolo fell apart during the fourth quarter after a red-hot first three quarters.
Meanwhile, former NFL defensive back and Locked on 49ers podcast host Eric Crocker has already laid out his prediction for Garoppolo in 2022:
Will Shanahan Welcome Him Back?
For head coach Kyle Shanahan, the 2022 season is already being projected as his first season without Jimmy G as his starter.
Garoppolo arrived to S.F. in 2017 after the franchise announced Shanahan as head coach. Through the injuries and string of inconsistent patterns on the field, Garoppolo still won 35 of 50 games with the 49ers.
But is this the end of a coach/quarterback relationship? Especially with Trey Lance waiting in the wings?
“I love Jimmy. I’m not gonna sit here and make a farewell statement right now, that’s the last thing on my mind,” Shanahan said.
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