© Raj Mehta | 2021 Sep 12
Jimmy Garoppolo is about as low maintenance as an NFL quarterback gets. It’s part of the reason Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were comfortable keeping Garoppolo and drafting Trey Lance this offseason, knowing that Jimmy G would act like a professional in the midst of the organization publicly signaling that he is no longer part of their long-term future.
By all accounts, Garoppolo has said and done all the right things so far this season. That includes stepping up his game, part of the reason he kept the starting QB job so easily heading into Week 1.
For the first time, however, Garoppolo gave a little hint into the difficulty of the situation between him and Lance when he joined Murph and Mac on KNBR Tuesday morning.
Brian Murphy asked Garoppolo about something Sunday’s TV commentator, former quarterback Mark Sanchez, said after Lance’s first quarter touchdown pass. Sanchez claimed that Jimmy’s embrace with Lance on the sideline was something that was likely extremely difficult for Garoppolo. Murph asked Garoppolo about that assessment.
“He’s not wrong,” Garoppolo said before giving a slight chuckle. “Nah, it is what it is type of situation. It’s one of those we had a good drive, marched down there. Kyle called the package and he’s the head coach. Whatever he calls, goes. Just one of those things that you can only control what you can control. And I’m out there with my boys, making the best of it, having a good time. At the end of the day we’re playing football, trying to get a win. Whatever it takes. It is what it is, you know?”
That’s pretty classic Jimmy. Admitting it’s a bit weird but also making sure to mention that it’s not a big deal. Interestingly, Lance played just four snaps in the game, and two in the first half, a significant departure from the nearly 50-50 split that Shanahan teased in the final preseason game.
Overall, Garoppolo looked really good, going 17-for-25, for 314 yards and a touchdown. If things are slightly awkward now, they’ll become much more so if Garoppolo cedes the starting job. Based on what we saw Sunday, it doesn’t look like that is going to happen anytime soon.
Listen to the full interview below.