SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Except what San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan would call a shocking development, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo made his last shot of the 2020 NFL season as he continues to work on recovering from an ankle sprain.
This does not mean, however, that Garoppolo played his last game as a Niner.
Asked on Monday whether he envisions Garoppolo returning as his starting quarterback in 2021, Shanahan reiterated that he did and went into detail about what will come into his off-season approach with him and the position as a whole.
“Yes, I believe Jimmy will be our defender next year,” said Shanahan, echoing what he said after Garoppolo sprained his ankle for the second time on November 1.
At that time, Shanahan left a little room for maneuver for some possible quarterback shuffling, pointing out that no casting decision for the next season would be made as far from when it is scheduled to start.
When Shanahan said again on Monday that he believes Garoppolo will be the team’s defender in 2021, he was asked why he is so sure, given the size of Garoppolo’s contract and his injury history.
Once again, Shanahan explained, as he and general manager John Lynch usually do, that they will always look at all the options that could make the team better.
“You can’t say anything for sure,” said Shanahan. “You don’t sit here and make promises about anything. When you build a football team, it’s your job to bring together the best team year after year.”
But Shanahan’s support for Garoppolo is more directly linked to the idea that if the 49ers are to replace him, it is better to be sure they are getting an update. This is not an easy task, as the 49ers are 22-8 in the regular season games Garoppolo started and 7-26 in all games started by other defenders since Shanahan took over in 2017.
“You look at every avenue and see if there’s anything out there that can improve a lot,” said Shanahan. “That’s the same answer for each position, but look at Jimmy, look at what he did, look at where he is financially. It is better to have a very good answer if you are going to find something better than that, because Jimmy showed in a year that he’s the guy who can take us to the Super Bowl, and I also think Jimmy is going to get a lot better the more he plays. “
Garoppolo is scheduled to post $ 26.9 million against the salary cap next season and $ 27 million in 2022.
The 49ers could theoretically get out of Garoppolo and save $ 24.1 million in cap space with just $ 2.8 million in dead money in an off-season where the salary cap is expected to fall and they should have about 40 players reaching somehow free agency.
But Shanahan does not see Garoppolo’s salary as particularly onerous, noting that since he signed his $ 137.5 million five-year contract in 2018, many other defenders have outpaced him. Garoppolo’s $ 26.9 million salary cap for next season would be the 11th highest in the NFL.
“That’s how much they cost,” said Shanahan. “So, it’s not like it’s ridiculous or something. We can fix it all. And, not to mention, look at Jimmy’s record when he was here. Jimmy, you can win. He proved it. He proved it is a starting quarterback in this league. “
Many of the issues surrounding Garoppolo are not so much about his contract, but the combination of his contract and his injury history. With the likelihood that Garoppolo will not play on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, he will have lost 23 regular season games in the past three seasons.
In addition to the torn ACL that cost him 13 games in 2018 and the pair of ankle sprains that prevented him from 10 games this year, Garoppolo also had a shoulder injury that prevented him from making a few starts when he was with the New England Patriots in 2016 .
This, along with the pending free backup agency Nick Mullens (restricted) and CJ Beathard (unrestricted), means that Niners will have to take a good look at their quarterback room, no matter what, as they head towards 2021.
“Yes, we have to be able to improve our team and other things if he gets hurt, but also what will help if you have a reserve to play for an entire year, he will try to keep the rest of his team healthy,” Shanahan said. “It would be a difficult year for Jimmy too, if he stayed there. Yes, we would have a better chance because of how good Jimmy is, but it was difficult for anyone who was put in that position. So, you will not sit around and overreact. just because our reserve quarterbacks had to play all year in some difficult situations, but you’ll see who we can pick up next year. “
To Shanahan’s point about the rest of the squad, the 49ers came out of Saturday’s victory against the Arizona Cardinals with even more injury friction in a season full of it.
Left tackle Trent Williams (sprained elbow) and rookie Brandon Aiyuk (sprained high ankle) will not play on Sunday against the Seahawks after suffering injuries to the Cardinals. Shanahan also ruled out cornerback Richard Sherman this week, as he continues to deal with a calf injury. Williams and Sherman will be unrestricted free agents.
The 49ers also placed long-snapper Taybor Pepper and pivot Hroniss Grasu on the reserve / COVID-19 list on Monday.