Jimmy Garoppolo is perpetually an X-factor for the 49ers. His highs make them one of the NFL’s best teams. His lows make them one of the NFL’s most beatable. That volatility puts his injured thumb and sprained shoulder under an even greater microscope.
Garoppolo in Week 16 tore a ligament in his thumb. In the wild-card playoffs vs. Dallas he suffered his shoulder injury. He won a Week 18 start over the Rams with his thumb issue and played well in the first half of the wild-card game before hurting his shoulder. His second-half performance in Dallas led to questions about his ability to play through the shoulder sprain. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Thursday said he’s not concerned about his QB’s injuries after seeing him in practice.
“Yeah, I think he threw pretty good in the game. He had two throws off and he threw good all week and I thought he threw good the week before,” Shanahan said in a post-practice press conference. “Everyone’s affected by things right now. I think the thumb bothers him more than the shoulder, which he’s gotten used to here the last few weeks, but it’s a challenge, just like a lot of guys are. I know it’s harder at the quarterback position, but a number of guys are in that boat and when Jimmy gets out to game day, he’s going to be alright.”
The 49ers listed Garoppolo as a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice, but he was a full go the final two days of the week. Shanahan said backup QB Trey Lance didn’t get any first-team work and stuck to his role as the scout team quarterback.
With Garoppolo not listed on the injury report, all signs point to him starting and playing a full game like normal in Green Bay. Whether he responds positively to the injuries won’t be known until he makes throws and takes hits in the game. The answer to that question will ultimately determine whether the 49ers have a real chance to swing an upset.
