Has Jimmy Garoppolo Played his Final Snap for the 49ers?
What a bizarre chain of events on Monday for the 49ers.
It all started with practice when reporters noticed Jimmy Garoppolo missing. Then, when Kyle Shanahan was asked at his press conference about it, he revealed that Garoppolo suffered a sprained thumb.
Shortly after that, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Garoppolo's thumb isn't a simple sprain. Rather, it was a chipped bone and torn ligament in his throwing hand. That is quite the difference from a sprain.
Whatever is the case, Garoppolo playing against the Texans, or even the rest of the season, is now in doubt. Trey Lance will get his second start of his career, so the 49ers still have a fighting chance for the playoffs. But now all the attention goes toward Garoppolo.
Has Garoppolo played his final snap for the 49ers?
I believe so.
To have any high hopes that Garoppolo can be fit to return down the line would be unwise. This is an injury that is on Garoppolo's throwing hand. An injury that the likes of Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and Matthew Stafford have dealt with most notably. These three stellar quarterbacks could not overcome the injury even when they had returned.
Not even UCSF Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Nirav Pandya can see Garoppolo returning in the next few games.
So unless the 49ers somehow make a run at the NFC title game or the Super Bowl, Garoppolo is done. And that is assuming the 49ers even make the playoffs because it is not a sure thing at this point. The days of Garoppolo getting to don a glistening 49ers uniform is most likely coming to an end.
While it is unfortunate that this is probably the last of Garoppolo, it is also fitting.
His tenure with the 49ers can best be described as false hopes and it all stems from his injuries. The guy can never stay healthy. It is just the sad reality of the situation. Even when it looked like there could be some hope of Garoppolo finally hitting his stride, he either plays like a goof or an injury comes up. This is who he is and it is largely why the 49ers traded up for Lance.
Now, the 49ers may be starting to turn the page to the Lance Era. He will get his second career start at home against the lowly Texans, so it should feel easier than his initial start on the road against the Cardinals. Still, this is a ton of pressure that Lance will be facing as a Week 18 must-win matchup with the Rams looms, and then possibly the playoffs.
It won't be easy, but no team is better fit to handle a rookie quarterback than the 49ers. It'll be on Shanahan to get Lance into a position to be successful.
