GETTY SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 19: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts to a play during the first quarter of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium on December 19, 2021 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers may have taken a big step forward to the playoffs on Sunday, but the debate over Jimmy Garoppolo seems stuck in place.
It’s no question that the 49ers quarterback has delivered the performances they’ve needed in the past two weeks. As the numbers from Pro Football Reference show us, Jimmy G has completed 45 of 64 passes, good for three touchdowns and a total of 531 yards through the air. In head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive approach, those are ideal numbers and Garoppolo has helped San Francisco to wins over the Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) and Atlanta Falcons (6-8).
But while there’s been an uptick in the 30-year-old quarterback’s performance, there are still San Francisco fans that are understandably wary about sticking with Garoppolo. Between a $26.4 million cap hit per Spotrac, wavering performances and Trey Lance waiting in the wings, many aren’t getting their hopes up despite the recent wins.
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Fans Point Out Factors Surrounding Jimmy Garoppolo, Including Trey Lance
At this point in the season, it only makes sense for the San Francisco 49ers to wait until the end of the season for any long-term decisions with Jimmy G and Trey Lance. Plan for the playoffs, let Garoppolo finish out what he’s started and don’t put the rookie in a tough spot. And most fans are accepting of that.
But it’s clear there’s a group within the fan base that believes once the season is over (barring a Super Bowl run,) it’s Trey Lance’s team.
Jimmy G “handsome” face got baffled. Dude wins when the defense and run game dominate. He is above average, for sure, but doesn’t have the ceiling to beat outplay the top tier QBs.
He ain’t a Pro-Bowler, All-Pro, or a MVP. He’s aight.
It’s worth noting that Garoppolo’s uptick in performance the past two weeks has coincided with an average 4.7 yards per carry from the running backs, a .4 increase in average per ESPN.
The other angle at play for those who don’t believe Garoppolo should stick around for the long term is his trade value, as @HumanGodzilla points out. The QBs in the 2021 draft class aren’t quite as prevalent as 2020’s, which featured the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Mac Jones. With that in mind, the San Francisco 49ers could capitalize on the current QB market.
Another user agrees, even pitching Jimmy G to Pittsburgh Steelers fans.
Plenty of Fans Want Jimmy G Around
As mentioned above, another trip to the Super Bowl would make getting rid of Jimmy G a near-impossible decision. That’s where some set the bar for Garoppolo in terms of him staying as the 49ers’ starter.
If Jimmy G goes to the super bowl again you cannot trade him. It’s not even about trey developing it’s about Jimmy thriving. Give that man the credit he deserves @JimmyG_10 @gmfb @49ers #FTTB
When you’ve got a good thing going, there’s not a lot of reasons to change it. @BFBreakdowns doesn’t want to hear any chatter about Trey Lance at this point in the year.
Jimmy Garoppolo leads the league in yards per attempt.
He’s top 10 in completion percentage and passer rating.
The 49ers are hitting top form going into the playoffs and there are people who still want him replaced by the most inexperienced rookie in the league right now…
While the Jimmy Garoppolo debate is still raging, there’s a line between personal desires and those taking a more pragmatic approach. Trey Lance may still have plenty of people that want him to become the starter, it feels like an impossibility that Jimmy G would get sat for Lance at this point, even if his performances suffer in the next week or two.
On the other end of the spectrum, there’s still fans like @jmines17 who think Garoppolo departing shouldn’t be on the table at all, even after this season ends.
@49ers how could we even think of trading or releasing Jimmy G after the season. Lance is the future but not near future.