Initially it was assumed and reported that veteran Quarterback – Jimmy Garoppolo has been ruled out for a long time due to his foot injury. This was a huge blow for the San Francisco 49ers keeping in mind that their #1 choice, Trey Lance had already been ruled out previously.
While Garoppolo saved the season for Niners. Moreover, even kept their playoff aspirations and hopes alive with some gigantic performances. Some even suggest that the current stint of Jimmy Garoppolo was the best they had ever encountered in his NFL career. On the same note, there seems to be new reports emerging which suggest that Jimmy can return on the football field, way earlier than expected.
Adam Schefter wrote in his tweet, “Sources: Doctors concluded today that 49ers’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo does not need foot surgery, it is not a Lisfranc injury, and if rehab goes smoothly, he could have a chance to return in 7-8 weeks, making him a potential playoff contributor.”
How ironic does it sound – San Francisco 49ers attempted to trade Jimmy Garoppolo in the offseason, but offseason shoulder surgery greatly limited his market. The two sides ultimately agreed to a restructured deal that saw him return as the backup to second-year QB Trey Lance. While many thought it was justified and Jimmy could serve at that position, at best – the latter was always aware of his potential.
Eventually when the young QB suffered a season-ending ankle fracture in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Garoppolo was placed back into the starting role, and he won six of his nine starts before suffering the foot injury. However, an injury against Miami ruled him out as well.
Next up for the 49ers awaits Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay, can they improve upon their 8-4 record? Remains to be seen.