The San Francisco 49ers need starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to get into some sort of a groove heading into the regular year.
Making his first appearance in live-game action since suffering a torn ACL last September, Garoppolo was absolutely atrocious Monday night against the Denver Broncos. The high-priced quarterback completed 1-of-6 passes for zero yards with a horrific interception.
This did not leave a great taste in the mouth of head coach Kyle Shanahan, leading him to say ahead of Saturday’s third preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs that Garoppolo will likely play at least the first half.
It’s paramount that Garoppolo shakes off the rust we saw in his initial preseason appearance last week. He’s not going to take part in the finale against the Los Angeles Chargers ahead of Week 1 of the regular season.
Garoppolo is facing a ton of pressure. The former New England Patriots second-round pick has started a combined 10 regular-season games in five years. He’s playing under a five-year, $137.5 million contract.
It’s time for Garoppolo to not only prove he can remain healthy, but perform at a high level. He’ll be given an extended opportunity to do just that Saturday evening on the very same field that saw the quarterback tear his ACL last September.