When news broke that the 49ers traded for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on Tuesday, fans were as excited as children on Christmas morning.
However, Garoppolo might be a present that will remain unopened until at least next week, as it was reported he will not play this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Guy Haberman agreed with that decision on Friday during the Haberman & Middlekauff Podcast and even went so far as to say the 49ers should not play Garoppolo at all this season.
“If given the choice between one of the extremes, either he doesn’t suit up and he doesn’t play all year or he suits up plays this year, it sucks, but I would choose he doesn’t suit up and he doesn’t play all year,” Haberman said. “As much as I’d love to see that, I do think there’d be a real value in Jimmy not playing.”
The risks of putting Garoppolo in against the Arizona Cardinals vastly outweighs the far-fetched rewards. Not only is Garoppolo unfamiliar with Shanahan’s intricate playbook, but the Cardinals are known for their blitzing defense and sacked Brian Hoyer three times in Week 4.
The last thing the 49ers want is to throw their coveted quarterback into a situation he’s not prepared for, especially against an aggressive defensive line like Arizona’s.
“There would be some risk in him playing Sunday,” Haberman said. “There’d be an incredible amount of risk.”
Furthering Haberman’s point is the current state of the 49ers. After their winless first half their season is all, but over.
To be fair, one could argue the only reason to play Garoppolo this season would be so he could lead the 49ers to a historic comeback in the second half that ends in them reaching the playoffs. Since that is all but impossible with two teams atop the NFC West at 5-2, it’s a moot point. But even then, Garoppolo’s success would only increase his value and warrant high-paying offers from other teams that might draw him away from signing with the 49ers this offseason, a high-risk scenario as is due to his small sample of success in New England.
“Unless you’re convinced that we’re going to put Jimmy in there, win eight games and make playoffs, but unless you believe that and it would be an insane thing to believe, there’s no benefit to it,” Haberman said.
To listen to the full interview check out the podcast below, and skip to 8:00 for Haberman and Middlekauff on Foster.