San Francisco 49ers took to social media to criticise Jimmy Garoppolo as the quarterback was seen laughing while the team were crushed by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
San Francisco rookie sensation Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury and was taken out of the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, only for his replacement Johnson to suffer a concussion and be ruled out of the remainder of the game. The Eagles have taken advantage of the 49ers' plight to lead 28-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
Purdy - who became the first rookie quarterback to win on his playoff debut since Russell Wilson in 2012 - is the reigning ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ after he was selected with the 262nd and final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. His path has been remarkable, transitioning from third-string quarterback to starter as the replacement when sophomore Trey Lance and veteran Jimmy Garoppolo went down with injuries.
Garoppolo is in attendance at the Lincoln Financial Field, although he is inactive. The broadcast captured his reaction to the remarkable run of injuries, as he and Lance were seen smiling and laughing despite the desperate situation.
A number of 49ers fans were frustrated by Garoppolo's antics, with several users confused. Tyler Tougeron (@tougeron_tyler) wrote: “Why is Jimmy G laughing every time he’s on camera? I get he’s not playing but what kind of teammate is having a blast while his team is down 7-28?”
Other users were more annoyed, with Paul Andrada (@PAndrada0722) adding: “Jimmy G on bench laughing and having a good time down by 21!” while Logan Aguire (@LoganAguire) said: “It’s weird seeing Jimmy G on the sidelines laughing and loving life. He’s missed games for having tummy aches.
“Meanwhile Purdy is out there with his arm broken.”
The 31-year-old hoped to be fit in time for Super Bowl LVII and give 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan something to think about had San Francisco won in Philadelphia. Last week, Garoppolo received scans which suggested he was healthy enough to practice and would reach the point where he could backup Purdy in Arizona next month.
Garoppolo suffered his broken foot injury eight weeks ago, and while it was initially ruled as a season-ending issue, further testing revealed surgery was not required. It meant the door was open for his return, but the Eagles are set to book their place in the Super Bowl instead as they lead 31-7 in the fourth quarter.
