There has been a lot of speculation surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's NFL future. Will he remain in the Bay Area next season? Will the 49ers look to the draft or free agency to move in a different direction?
On Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters via Zoom from his home and was asked about Garoppolo's future.
"I expect Jimmy to be our starter next year," Shanahan said. "I mean, I expect him to come play with us this year (after he recovers from his ankle injury). We have six games left. We are not out of the playoffs yet. I've been on a team that was 3-6 going into a bye week that ended up winning their division.
"I think we have guys on this team capable of finishing this the right way. We've got to do it one game at a time, and I hope Jimmy can come back and be a part of that. But to think that we've made any decisions on anybody going into the future isn't the case.
"Jimmy's won a lot of games for us this year. It's a lot harder to win games when he's not here, and I'm just hoping we can get him back."
Garoppolo is dealing with his second high-ankle sprain this season. He didn't require surgery, and the quarterback could return as early as Week 15. The question remains whether or not the 49ers will be playing for anything by that point.
"I'm really holding out hope that Jimmy can get back and play some games with us," Shanahan said. "And I'm hoping we can change a little bit of our outcomes so when he does come back, and hopefully a few other people, they are coming back for a reason.
"But Jimmy did have a real bad ankle injury. It's very good that he didn't have to have surgery because that's what gives him a chance. I think he just got out of his boot, and we're still a little bit of a ways from getting there, but that's what I'm holding out hope for."