Sunday Night's Matchup with the Rams is a Defining Moment for Jimmy Garoppolo

Sunday Night's matchup with the Los Angeles Rams is more than just a must-win game for the San Francisco 49ers.

Sunday Night's matchup with the Los Angeles Rams is more than just a must-win game for the San Francisco 49ers. 

It is more than just staying afloat in the NFC West and the playoff race.

Sunday night is a defining moment for Jimmy Garoppolo's 49ers career.

No, that's not hyperbole. Garoppolo's status with the 49ers will 100 percent be a toss up if he has anywhere near the atrocious performance that he had against the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.

There is too much at stake entering Week 6. The 49ers have to keep their playoff hopes alive and win against a good team. The Rams will come into Levi's Stadium with a vengeance. Last season in Week 16, it was the 49ers who laid down the tombstone piledriver on the Rams' season. Now the Rams have a perfect opportunity to return the favor on the 49ers on Sunday night football with the entire nation watching.

This is a make-or-break game for him as head coach Kyle Shanahan will not have the patience for his high-priced quarterback to get into rhythm. 

Why else did he bench Garoppolo at halftime? To "protect him" like he said? It is not like the offensive line was that bad against the Dolphins. Garoppolo was just terrible in that game and Shanahan got fed up. That is why C.J. Beathard came in the second half so that he gets in his reps in case Shanahan pulls Garoppolo again in Week 6, which Shanahan himself said on Wednesday is still on the table. 

Do not forget that the 49ers considered bringing in Tom Brady. If there wasn't any doubt that Garoppolo was the unquestionable franchise quarterback, they would not have entertained the idea and admitted to Garoppolo about their interest in Brady.

Garoppolo is expendable. 

He is not this phenomenal talent who is untouchable. The 49ers can easily cut ties with him this offseason without any repercussions. Garoppolo is playing for his 49ers career from here on out. 

If he balls out against the Rams, or at least plays well enough to earn the 49ers a victory, then he will deserve credit for bouncing back and stepping up when the 49ers needed him most. As for his 49ers career, he will have staved off questions about his future temporarily.

Sunday night's matchup is a defining moment.

Will he step up to the plate and keep the offense clicking?

Or will it be another Cardinals, Dolphins blunder that ends the 49ers season?