In the moment, Jimmy Garappolo’s 2018 ACL injury was devastating.
But believe it or not, it’s had some positive effects, too.
Garoppolo went down in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, effectively ending his season. San Francisco stumbled to a 4-12 record in 2018, landing it the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. That pick was used on former Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa.
So things didn’t end up too bad for the Niners after all, in Garoppolo’s mind.
“Things have a way of working out. I always told myself it was a blessing in disguise, the ACL,” he said Wednesday, per NFL.com’s Nick Shook. “We got (Nick) Bosa out of it. That’s a pretty good trade-off, I guess. But yeah, things have a way of working out I guess. This ride is crazy.”
After a dismal 2018, a trip to the NFC Championship Game appeared distant, at best. And it wasn’t just luck — or Garoppolo — that got the team to where it’s at this time around. Bosa has had a massive impact on the Niners’ success during his rookie campaign, and having Garoppolo has proven to be a big difference-maker for the squad as well.
But will the 49ers’ “crazy” ride continue? We’ll find out Sunday when they take on the Green Bay Packers in NFC Championship Game.
