Could Jimmy Garoppolo be available for the NFC Championship? San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan says it's highly unlikely.
The 49ers head coach said Wednesday that he "doesn't expect to have him [Garoppolo] this weekend" following X-rays for his former, longtime starting quarterback. Shanahan also said he doesn't expect Garoppolo to practice at all this week. The comments came two days after Shanahan said Monday that he would "be very surprised if [Garoppolo] was out there this week" while adding "there'd be a better chance" for him to be ready for the Super Bowl if San Francisco makes the big game.
Regardless of when Garoppolo returns to the field (if he does at all), the 49ers are set to stick with seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy as the starting quarterback, Fox Sports reported prior to the team's wild-card win over the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 14. The 49ers take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
Garoppolo suffered a broken foot against the Miami Dolphins in December and was initially ruled out for the season. Days later, Shanahan said there was a "way outside chance" he could return for the playoffs. With original starter Trey Lance out for the year with a broken ankle that required surgery, the team put their faith in Purdy, the third-string quarterback, and he hasn't let them down one bit.
Purdy was the last player picked in the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant soon became very relevant as he thrived as their starter and helped lead the Niners to the No. 2 seed. His first start came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he went on to become the first quarterback to defeat Tom Brady in their first-ever start.
Since then, Purdy has won every game with the team, going an impressive 8-0 that includes a 41-23 wild-card win over the Seattle Seahawks and a 19-12 divisional round win against the Dallas Cowboys. Purdy had a 67.1 completion percentage with 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 107.3 quarterback rating in the regular season. He has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 546 passing yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 109.9 passer rating so far this postseason. Through 11 games this season, Garoppolo has a 67.2 completion percentage with 2,437 yards, 16 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 103.0 quarterback rating.
