Jimmy Garoppolo’s first full season with the San Francisco 49ers didn’t go according to plan.
Garoppolo, traded from the New England Patriots in 2017, was supposed to bring the 49ers to the next level in 2018 after signing a five-year, $137.5 million contract, but the quarterback’s season crashed and burned in Week 3 when he tore his ACL during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco’s playoff hopes instantly evaporated, and the Niners, who went 5-0 down the stretch in 2017 with Jimmy G at the helm, finished with a 4-12 record.
So, what was Garoppolo thinking immediately after suffering his season-ending injury last September? The 27-year-old shed light on his initial reaction this week in an interview with NBC Sports’ Peter King.
“It was a bit of shock. I had never been injured before like that. I had the shoulder thing (in 2016), but that was not nearly as serious,” Garoppolo said. “So kind of shock initially and then after that it’s tough mentally to accept it, because you put so much work in the offseason, you go through training camp and then it’s all taken away just like that. So it took some getting used to and everything, but I’d say shock was the first thing, and then after that you just have to kind of accept it and come back stronger for this year.”
Garoppolo, a second-round draft pick in 2014, flashed immense potential while filling in for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who served a four-game suspension related to Deflategate to open the 2016 season. Brady continued to defeat Father Time upon returning to the gridiron, though, and New England thus traded Garoppolo to San Francisco for a second-round pick in 2018.
The 49ers believed — and still believe — they acquired a franchise quarterback in Garoppolo, whom Patriots coach Bill Belichick held in high regard throughout the QB’s New England tenure. It’s possible 2019 could mark the real beginning of Garoppolo’s rise to prominence, provided his injury doesn’t hamper his ability to bounce back.
