The Jimmy G. era is about to begin in San Francisco.
The 49ers officially announced on Tuesday that former Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will start on Sunday against the Bears in Chicago. Head coach Kyle Shanahan met with the quarterbacks to inform them of the change, and is expected to address the decision with reporters on Wednesday.
Garoppolo, 26, was sent to San Fran for the 49ers’ 2018 second-round pick in a surprise move at the trade deadline by the Patriots. After sitting for two games and nearly all of a third, Tom Brady’s ex-backup briefly entered the 49ers’ loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, throwing a touchdown pass to Louis Murphy as time expired.
The 49ers’ newest starter played well in limited time for the Patriots over the course of his first three seasons, posting a 106.2 passer rating. He most notably threw 42-for-59 (71.2 percent) for 496 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in two starts during the 2016 season, posting a 119 passer rating.
Garoppolo is also a native of Arlington Heights, IL, about 30 miles north of Chicago, and went to college at Eastern Illinois. So there’s clearly going to be a lot of interested eyes on Jimmy G. in attendance at Soldier Field on Sunday.