San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo stepped up to the podium before Wednesday's practice and spoke with reporters. There were no questions about Mike McGlinchey because news of the starting right tackle undergoing arthroscopic surgery and missing four to six weeks had not yet been revealed.
McGlinchey was injured during Monday night's 31-3 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Garoppolo joined 95.7 The Game after the news broke, so, of course, the conversation started with questions about the latest injury. The quarterback was asked what the loss of McGlinchey means for the offense as the team gets ready to play the Los Angeles Rams.
"It's tough," Garoppolo told Damon Bruce and Ray Ratto. "Mike, he's a hell of a football player, a hell of a guy, just in the locker room. You hate to see it. He was battling through it all game and everything, and it's so impressive what those guys up front go through. So it's next-man-up mentality now."
Garoppolo will now be without both of his starting tackles in McGlinchey and Joe Staley, and his fullback, Kyle Juszczyk, as the first-place 49ers head into an important NFC West showdown. Juszczyk, like McGlinchey, was injured on Monday night and is expected to miss four to six weeks with an MCL sprain.
"That's football, though," Garoppolo continued. "You know what you're signing up for. We have a good mentality in the locker room. Guys are stepping up, and we're filling those roles as we need to, and it's up to each and every guy when his number is called to go answer it."
The 49ers own the No. 1 rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 200 yards per game this season and 5.2 yards per attempt. In addition to keeping Garoppolo upright, the team has to find a way to maintain that without so many key blockers on offense. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean the way the 49ers attack an opponent will see a drastic change.
"You don't want to lose your identity as an offense, especially when we're running the ball the way we are," Garoppolo said. "You don't get that every day. It's one of those things that the next guy up, you try to do what his strengths are and put him in good situations to succeed, and I think our coaching staff does that better than anyone (with) just the way they game plan, and the in-game adjustments they make, even. It puts us in good situations as players."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Garoppolo below.
