What Kyle Shanahan Still Questions about Jimmy Garoppolo

Ask Kyle Shanahan a straight-ahead question, he’ll give you a straight-ahead answer.

Ask Kyle Shanahan a straight-ahead question, he’ll give you a straight-ahead answer.

He won’t reflexively praise his players to the media just for the sake of praising them. Jim Harbaugh did that. All of his players were “trusted agents” who had “titanium in their spines” -- or at least that’s what he told the media. Who knows how Harbaugh really felt?

Shanahan tries his best to tell you how he really feels. Gives fair, honest assessments of players with equal parts praise and critique. Vic Fangio was the same way when he was the 49ers defensive coordinator.

Recently during a video conference, a reporter asked Shanahan why the 49ers considered signing Tom Brady this offseason, and how Jimmy Garoppolo has progressed since the Super Bowl. Touchy questions.

But Shanahan answered them as frankly as he could. Here’s what he said:

“I can tell his thoughts are a lot clearer because he's not worrying about an ACL and rehabbing. He's 100-percent focused and getting better mentally from knowing the offense from just knowing defense. Everyone says, ‘learning the offense.’ Jimmy's learned the offense. He's fine with that. It's just being automatic, it’s understanding coverages, going through everything where, I can't tell you how much more I know as a coach in year 17 or whatever then I did in year two. That never stops. So, to go through an offseason where you don't have to rehab the whole time, it gives you a chance to take that to another level. I think Jimmy's fired up for this year. Last year was his first year to play a whole year and he had a hell of a year and got us very close to winning the Super Bowl. When you have to talk to Jimmy about one of the best quarterbacks of all time being available, I know Jimmy has a goal to be that. I know Jimmy, I believe Jimmy has the ability to be that and that's what both of us are going for. If we can get him there and he has the ability to do it, we're going to be pretty happy with who we have for a long time.”

What an answer from Shanahan. Harbaugh probably would have said, “Jimmy is good,” and, “I’m not talking about Brady. That’s gobble-gobble jive turkey.”

Here are my main takeaways from Shanahan’s response:

1. The ACL was a real issue for Garoppolo last season.

Shanahan said Garoppolo is thinking clearer now because he’s not worried about his knee. Meaning Garoppolo was worried about his knee last season. And you could tell when you watched him.

Garoppolo’s poise and quick release returned in 2019, but the zip on his passes did not. He didn’t drive the ball to the sideline or down the field -- he flicked the ball with his wrist and left his lower body out of the equation. Didn’t rotate his hips violently or plant hard on his left, front, surgically-repaired knee. Understandable.

Now he’s two years removed from the ACL injury and, according to Shanahan, it’s a non-issue. So Garoppolo’s zip should return in 2020.

2. Garoppolo’s knowledge of the offense is “fine,” but not automatic.

Those were Shanahan’s words, and they mean Garoppolo has a basic understanding of Shanahan’s offense, but not an expert-level understanding of it. Garoppolo’s recall isn’t yet automatic, the way it was for Matt Ryan in Atlanta, or Steve Young when Mike Shanahan was the 49ers’ offensive coordinator.

Garoppolo’s learning curve is an issue because he has been on the team since 2017. He doesn’t need to practice on a field to memorize the offense backward and front -- he can memorize it at home when he’s folding the laundry, or doing literally anything. He can constantly work to memorize it -- that’s what he’s doing this offseason, per Shanahan. And Garoppolo apparently is making strides. This is good news for the 49ers.

Garoppolo also needs to read coverages better, according to Shanahan. Reading coverage comes with real-game experience, so it makes sense he would struggle. He should improve this aspect of his game next season.

3. The 49ers will continue to look around for Hall of Fame quarterbacks until Garoppolo proves he can be one.

Shanahan has high standards. And while he sounds upbeat about Garoppolo’s future, Shanahan also acknowledges that he seriously considered signing Tom Brady this offseason, even though Brady will be 43 next season.

The reason: Brady is an all-time great, if not THE all-time great. Brady understands offenses and defensive coverages better than everyone -- even better than Shanahan, who has been in the NFL 17 years. Brady has been in it 20 years.

Ultimately, the 49ers did not sign Brady -- maybe because he’s too old, or maybe because he’s too expensive. Or maybe because Shanahan genuinely believes in Garoppolo.

But until Garoppolo definitely proves he can be one of the best quarterbacks of all time, Shanahan will keep his eyes peeled for a quarterback who fits that description.

Thanks for the explanation, Kyle.