San Francisco 49ers: Is Jimmy Garoppolo Next In Line Of Great 49ers QBs?
The San Francisco 49ers have put all their eggs in one basket with the offseason signing of Jimmy Garoppolo. After the trade with the New England Patriots, Jimmy G ignited not only the 49ers team with five straight wins to end the 2017 season, but he gave a spark to the Niners fanbase. That was not an easy task.
As the San Francisco 49ers head int the 2018 NFL season, the question looming for the once backup to Tom Brady is, is he the real deal?
[BXAds]While he may put up numbers similar to those of Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, and possibly Matt Ryan, where will he end up when the discussion of Joe Montana and Steve Young are brought up? See, this is where it becomes a bit unfair for Jimmy Garoppolo. He has yet to play a full season for any team, let alone the 49ers. How can anyone even begin to compare him to legends?
However, for argument’s sake, let’s attempt to play the guessing game with his career.
Let’s begin with Steve Young. In 1991, Young became the full-time starter for the San Francisco 49ers taking over for Joe Montana. That season, Young would go on to pass for 2517 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games (10 starts). Solid numbers for his time on the field but this was just the beginning. Over the next seven years as a full-time player, Young would solidify his spot as one of the NFL’s greats.
During his career with the 49ers, Young would pass for 29,907 yards, 221 touchdowns and 86 interceptions. During this great run, he would complete 65.8 percent of his passes while boasting a record of 91-33. Yes, Young was that good. He would also go on to earn a spot in the Pro Bowl seven times. But this is where Jimmy Garoppolo must prove that he’s capable of passing Young. Yards, touchdowns, and Pro Bowls are good, but the 49ers have known to win for decades. Young, to his credit, has played in 22 career playoff games and won three Super Bowls (one as a starter). Can Jimmy G top Young?
Joe Montana for most (myself included) is the greatest QB to ever put on a uniform. I’m not talking just a 49ers uniform either. While some will give the nod to Brady as the G.O.A.T, Montana still has that mantle. When you think of clutch, Montana is the first QB that comes to mind.
Jimmy Garoppolo Has Huge Shoes To Fill
During his time with the San Francisco 49ers, Montana won four Super Bowls and owns a playoff record of 14-5 to go along with seven Pro Bowls. For his stats, as a member of the 49ers, Montana passed for 35,124 yards, 244 touchdowns, and 123 interceptions.
This is the legacy that Jimmy G has to live up to. The issue is, no one knows what type of player he really is. Although the five games at the end of 2017 was a stepping stone, what happens when he’s no longer the surprise of the week? Now that teams have had a full offseason to prepare for him, will he continue to have similar success?
Being a QB for the Colts, Eagles, and Redskins is not the same as being one for the San Francisco 49ers. There was not just one dominate QB in their history. The Niners are one of the few teams in the NFL who had had success with two of the game’s best. So as good as Jimmy Garoppolo appears to be, the truth is, we haven’t seen enough yet to put him up there with Montana or Young, Hell, to be honest, he’s not even on Jeff Garcia’s level yet.
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Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
