The San Francisco 49ers locker room appears to like having a highly-touted quarterback in their midst.
Coach Kyle Shanahan admitted as much, saying that the team’s acquisition of Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots has energized the locker room and practices.
“Yeah, I think it excites guys,” Shanahan said, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. “When players see that on Monday and they come in on Wednesday, you can feel a little different buzz. I think we had a great week of practice. I think C.J. [Beathard] had his best week of practice. On Wednesday, we only had two balls hit the ground. We haven’t done that all year. So I think it did give us a little bit of juice and some energy.
“Jimmy has fit in really well in that quarterback room. He’s fit in real well with the guys, and I think the guys see the talent out there, also. I don’t think anyone’s trying to rush it or knows when it’s going to happen, but people can see we have a few good quarterbacks in our building.”
Years of being Tom Brady’s backup — and the Patriots’ reluctance to let him go — has done wonders for Garoppolo’s reputation. The team has warned, though, that he may not see the field this season.
