© Joe Nicholson | 2020 Nov 1
It’s possible that Jimmy Garoppolo’s season is over.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said as much during his press conference on Tuesday, confirming that Garoppolo’s latest ankle sprain is far worse than the one he sustained in Week 2, and that the team is currently deciding whether the quarterback will go under the knife.
If surgery is not required, Shanahan believes Garoppolo would be able to return in six weeks. The Niners have eight games remaining.
“He essentially had a whole new one, just on the same foot,” Shanahan said. “When you have those high-ankle sprains, you re-injure them a lot. But it was a different way he did it. So it’s basically doing it all over again in a different way.
“It is worse than the last one. That’s why surgery is an option. We’re getting different doctors’ opinions now. Whatever is best for him long term is obviously what we’ll decide on. But if he does need the surgery, it’ll be all year. Hoping six weeks to get him back at the end.”
The news on George Kittle wasn’t much better. The tight end is expected to be out for eight weeks with a small fracture in his foot.
“Kittle says two, but that’s how he rolls,” Shanahan said. “But that’s why he’ll go on IR, and if it’s better than what they’re saying, he’ll have a chance to come back this year. But eight weeks is eight weeks.”
A small morsel of good news for the 49ers is that tight end Jordan Reed is expected to be available on Thursday night after missing the past five games with a knee injury.
It is assumed that Nick Mullens will start at quarterback vs. the Packers.