Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be completely healthy by the start of the 2019 season. The San Francisco 49ers offense could be much improved if that is the case. Two NFL Network analysts, however, don't believe the quarterback will explode out of the gate.
Lindsay Rhodes sat down with Michael Robinson and Terrell Davis and asked how Garoppolo will perform during the upcoming season after coming off a lengthy rehab following an ACL injury.
Robinson predicted that Garoppolo's play will be complementary to the 49ers' run game, where the team has a lot of depth and talent.
"That's what this team is going to hang their hat on, and Jimmy Garoppolo is going to make the plays off play action and be explosive down the football field off of the run game," Robinson said.
Davis believes Garoppolo will have a slow start to the season.
"That knee just doesn't come around like you want it," explained Davis, a former NFL running back who knows a thing or two about recovering from knee injuries. "Really, the next year it's going to feel fine. I know he got injured early in the season and he's a quarterback, but still, it takes time for that knee to get right.
"This year, he'll be getting used to it, so maybe later in the season he gets better."
Garoppolo has been taking part in organized team activities, which are in their second week. He has been getting work in on everything except 11-on-11 team drills. The coaching staff expects Garoppolo to be a full participant once training camp kicks off in late-July.
"We're onto the little things," Garoppolo told reporters last week. "The big strides have been made, so now it's fine-tuning the little things."
Garoppolo has been wearing a protective brace over his left leg this offseason and will continue doing so during games this year.
"Yeah, I love it," Garoppolo responded when asked about the brace. "The training staff, I'm not sure where they got it from, but it's titanium or something like that. It's real lightweight.
"Once I'm out there moving around and stuff, I don't even feel it. The first couple of weeks it was weird, but after that, you get used to it."