Speculation continues to linger about whether the San Francisco 49ers are committed to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. On Friday, general manager John Lynch tried to offer some clarity on that situation.
Lynch made clear that he believes the 49ers are “a better football team” when Garoppolo is playing, and blamed injuries for some of his struggles in 2020.
“I do believe a lot of this year, Jimmy probably hasn’t played up to his standard,” Lynch told “The Murph & Mac Show,” via KNBR’s Jacob Hutchinson. “I think a lot of that, he’s been somewhat compromised with his health since he had that high ankle in the New York Jets game. Think about prior to the ankle injury in that game, I believe he was 12-of-14, he was our player of the game. We have a lot of belief in Jimmy.”
Lynch also addressed the Niners sending a front office official to watch BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. Lynch chalked that up to the team simply “doing our jobs” and being prepared for anything.
Garoppolo signed a big contract with the 49ers two years ago, and seemed to justify that faith by leading them to an NFC championship. Things have been worse in 2020, with Garoppolo dealing with injuries and inconsistent play.
It’s possible that Lynch is giving Garoppolo a public vote of confidence while privately harboring reservations. That said, this report give us reason to believe the GM is telling the truth.
