Jimmy Garoppolo was thrust into action as the 49ers’ quarterback on short notice after Trey Lance suffered a season-ending injury against the Seahawks, but it didn’t take him long to settle back into a familiar role.
Buy 49ers TicketsAfter Lance came out of the game with a fractured ankle late in the first quarter, Garoppolo came in and helped the 49ers to a dominant 27-7 win over their fierce rivals.
He finished the game with 13 of 21 passing for 154 yards and a touchdown. Garoppolo also had a rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak that iced the game.
And, for Garoppolo, running the offense was a pretty comfortable experience despite him entering the game in an emergency situation.
“Just like riding a bike,” said Garoppolo of coming into the game as the backup.
“Feel terrible for Trey, I’ve been on that side, this league is tough and everyone has their share of injuries, but that sucks for him. Feel bad for him but he’s our brother and we’ll pick him up.
Kyle called some plays that I knew, some new ones for me too, but it was a good process. I tried to prepare this whole time like a starter anyway so it was just like riding a bike.”
And after an offseason in which the 49ers were unable to trade Garoppolo because of an offseason shoulder surgery, Garoppolo sounded an optimistic note to calm any nerves around his durability.
“Shoulder feels great,” added Garoppolo.
The Niners will need that to remain the case for them to have a realistic hope of contention in 2022.
