Jimmy Garoppolo is staying with the San Francisco 49ers, even though for most of this offseason, the general consensus around the NFL was that he would either be traded or released.
Garoppolo will now be Trey Lance‘s backup at quarterback, which is an impressive Houdini trick the team pulled off after the roles of both men were reversed last year.
Anytime Lance, who is entering his second season, has a particularly rough stretch, head coach Kyle Shanahan can simply turn to Garoppolo if the team really needs it in order to stay above water.
But it looks like Garoppolo has also taken on another role as the 49ers get prepared for Sunday’s season opener against the Chicago Bears.
Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said during a press conference that Garoppolo is acting as a Justin Fields impersonator in order to get San Francisco’s defense ready to face him.
Hear from DeMeco Ryans ahead of #SFvsCHI. https://t.co/pqFn25xzG7
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 8, 2022
“The mobile quarterback? It’s Jimmy G,” Ryans responded before laughing. “He’s done a great job. He’s giving some great looks as far as getting the ball out, moving around, scrambling. Jimmy has done an excellent job.”
Garoppolo Sticking Around Was The Best Outcome The 49ers Could’ve Hoped For
Last season, especially when San Francisco started 3-5, there was increasing chatter that Garoppolo’s days as a starter were numbered and that the team would eventually turn things over to Lance.
One reason that was cited was the ample draft capital it gave up to select the North Dakota State University standout.
Once the 49ers lost the NFC Championship Game to the Los Angeles Rams, the rumors of Garoppolo heading out amplified.
By March, it looked inevitable that he would be traded, and although there was reportedly some interest in him, nothing came close to materializing.
When training camp started, Shanahan made it clear that Lance would be the starter moving forward, and the likelihood of Garoppolo leaving the Bay seemed to increase even more.
But the Niners restructured his contract, giving Lance an incredible insurance policy and safety net this season.
In addition, it has helped their salary cap situation.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s restructured contract cleared up a ton of cap space for the #49ers 👀
H/T @FieldYates pic.twitter.com/xttgX0IIUP
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) August 31, 2022
Fields Will Present Somewhat Of A Challenge For San Francisco
Fields may not be an elite QB, but he is one who could present some problems if the Niners aren’t careful.
He didn’t exactly look impressive last year as a rookie, as he put up just 1,870 yards and seven touchdown passes against 10 interceptions in 12 games for a passer rating of only 73.2.
But he looked a lot better in his three preseason games last month, completing 76.7 percent of his passes and throwing three touchdown passes (against zero interceptions).
In 2021, Fields had an accuracy rate of just 58.9 percent.
He is a mobile QB who ran for 420 yards and two touchdowns last season, so the 49ers must be careful with their blitzes and make sure there aren’t any holes in their secondary that he can take advantage of.
Garoppolo has never been a very mobile signal-caller himself, but what Ryans talked about is proof that the veteran is willing to do whatever his team needs him to do, even if it means ceding the spotlight.
NEXT: NFL Insider Thinks 49ers Trade Jimmy Garoppolo By Midseason