Former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was sidelined last December due to a foot injury that appeared to end his final season in San Francisco. As it turns out, there was a chance for Garoppolo to get back on the field in the postseason. The veteran said if the 49ers had beaten the Eagles and advanced to the Super Bowl, it would've been him taking snaps in the big game.
The 31-year-old is entering his first year in Las Vegas, after playing the past six seasons in San Francisco.
Quarterback Brock Purdy took over for Garoppolo, who had taken over for Trey Lance when the former first-rounder was injured at the start of last season. Purdy impressed the masses, winning every game he started, except for the NFC title game against the Philadelphia Eagles, where he injured his shoulder and was removed from the game briefly. Purdy eventually had to go back on the field when quarterback Josh Johnson was ruled out with a concussion.
The rotating door of quarterbacks in San Francisco caused drama, awkwardness and unknowns throughout the season.
Despite Purdy performing well when he took over as a third option, Garoppolo said the team would have gone with him over the former "Mr. Irrelevant" in Super Bowl LVII.
"Oh yeah, I was playing. That was kind of the plan of not getting the surgery," Garoppolo said (via the San Francisco Chronical), on if the team made the Super Bowl.
Garoppolo said they had prepared for the possibility of him returning and it was important for him to be ready to go in case he got the call.
"Healing a bone while trying to rehab and still being an NFL quarterback at the same time is tough," Garoppolo said. "We tried to make the best of the situation. In case something did happen — like it did — I wanted to be ready just in case, [for] that situation."
He called the whole situation with the injury "unlucky."
"The one toe [the second toe on his left foot] just wouldn't heal," he said. "It was a deep crack, one of those. And the other two bones did heal. It was a weird situation, but I think we made the best of it. They wanted me to get surgery. I'm glad I did now, looking back on it."
Garoppolo did not go out on the best note in San Francisco and the uncomfortable situation was present for more than just last year. He said the 2021 season was "real awkward," when the team drafted quarterback Lance as his replacement.
He continued discussing that season, saying, "That was tougher than this past year, honestly. You're always gonna be dealt a hard hand at some point, and you've just got to make the best of it, and that's what I've tried to do. That was a hard time. But I had some good people around me to lean on."
With everything going on, Garoppolo wanted to make sure that his teammates did not see everything he was feeling. Keeping things professional and going after the main goal of winning is what the QB put his importance on.
"As the quarterback of a team, there are a lot of guys looking at you in that huddle," Garoppolo said. "So, you really can't show that side of it. You've just got to go out there and ball. That's the part that's the hardest. But it's part of the job."
Like it or not, awkward or not, the team made it clear that they were ready to move on from the veteran. After that NFC Championship Game loss, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if Garoppolo would be wearing a 49ers jersey in 2023, to which he confidently answered with a "no."
While Garoppolo admits there were some tough moments between him and the team not everything out there was true. When asked if he heard the report that Shanahan was upset with him for not going to meetings while he was injured, even though they were not mandatory, Garoppolo said you shouldn't believe everything you hear.
Garoppolo's time in San Fran did not end in the most graceful way, but he is happy with where he is now.
"There's a little bit of a buzz going on," Garoppolo said about being in the Raiders. "You can feel it. It's just refreshing. New start and everything; new group of guys; new coaches. We've kind of started to find our stride a little bit, and we've been flowing."
Garoppolo's reunion with his old team came quickly, as the Raiders hosted the 49ers for joint workouts ahead of Sunday's preseason matchup. Despite any talk on the outside, Garoppolo is looking forward to seeing his old teammates.
