49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo had a real, real bad time in his first game since ACL tear
Aug 19, 2019; Denver, CO, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) warms up before the game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
Almost 11 months after tearing his ACL, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo made his return to game action in a Monday night preseason head-to-head against the Broncos.
And it honestly could not have gone much worse for the former Patriot.
Beginning his night with an incompletion, Garoppolo found a body on his second attempt of the night. Unfortunately for Jimmy G, though, that body was wearing the wrong jersey, as Isaac Yiadom picked off Garoppolo. In fact, Garoppolo didn’t complete a pass until his sixth (and final) throw of the night… which went for a grand total of zero yards. Garoppolo was also saved by a would-be interception dropped by the Broncos’ De’Vante Bausby.
With Garoppolo under center, the 49ers had one drive ended by an interception and back-to-back three-and-outs.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s no good very bad day in 30 seconds. pic.twitter.com/8m0JqckPMr
— Dieter Kurtenbach (@dieter) August 20, 2019
Yiiiiikes.
Garoppolo’s struggles come with the obvious It’s The Preseason designation, but the 27-year-old did not look comfortable for even a second of Monday’s game. Some of that had to do with Denver’s disruption combining with a so-so effort from San Fran’s offensive line, but Garoppolo did nothing to help himself. He consistently appeared to panic under pressure, and almost all of his throws appeared to come off his back foot.
There’s also the fact that Garoppolo hasn’t seen real game action in close to a year.
“It’s something that I haven’t done in a year obviously, so I’ve got to knock the rust off and everything,” Garoppolo said after the poor showing. “Thankfully we have a short a week this week so we can bounce back quickly.
“But it’s the first step of getting back into it.”
Traded to the 49ers from New England in 2017, Garoppolo won his first five starts with the Niners and signed a five-year, $137.5 million deal with the Niners in Feb. 2018. It was a deal that made Garoppolo the owner of a $27.5 million annual salary (an NFL record at the time), and came with over $70 million in guaranteed money. But the Niners did make sure the deal had team-friendly outs over the next few seasons should Garoppolo fail to live up to the hype.
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.
