Garoppolo was 11-of-16 for 84 yards and an interception on Sunday afternoon before exiting late in the third quarter with an ankle injury. His backup, Nick Mullens, entered the game and threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Fans learned on Monday that Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle are expected to be out indefinitely. It's just another significant hit in an already injury-plagued 2020 campaign. Kittle suffered a small fracture in his foot and could be out for the remainder of the season. Garoppolo is reportedly expected to miss at least six weeks, possibly more.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport wonders if the Garoppolo experiment in San Francisco might be coming to an end. Could head coach Kyle Shanahan be willing to move on from his quarterback?
"I know that Kyle likes Garoppolo," Rapoport said Monday on KNBR's Murph & Mac show before it became known that Garoppolo would miss significant time. "Obviously, he's stood by him. Had a chance, probably could have gotten Tom Brady this offseason. Not probably. Definitely could have gotten him. Decided against it. So, Kyle has stood by him.
"I do think they will go into the offseason and say, 'Alright, just like every other position — but of course, quarterback gets more microscopes — can we improve?' And I don't think they're going to be a bad team. To me, they'll probably end up around average — 8-8, 7-9, 9-7. But what if they have a chance to draft a quarterback? Do they ramp up the pressure and say, 'Alright, we're going to get better at the most important position'?
"I think that's probably something, to me, that they will very strongly consider if it comes up."
Garoppolo has two more years remaining on his contract after this season. Of course, the 49ers can move on from his contract without much of a salary-cap hit during any offseason. Garoppolo missed most of the 2018 season after suffering an ACL injury.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Rapoport below.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Florio speculates on Kyle Shanahan's future with (or without) the 49ers
Speculation surrounding head coach Kyle Shanahan's future with the San Francisco 49ers has intensified during a disappointing 5-7 season. A year that began with Super Bowl aspirations now appears destined to end without a playoff berth, sparking questions about whether... -
Insider can envision 49ers targeting this defensive coach in the offseason
Despite the defense's struggles, the San Francisco 49ers have publicly supported defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen throughout the season. However, those endorsements only carry so much weight. The 49ers took a similar stance last season with Steve Wilks, whose time in Santa... -
49ers practice and media schedule: Preparing for the Week 14 matchup vs. Bears
The San Francisco 49ers will hold three full practices this week as they prepare for their Week 14 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Head coach Kyle Shanahan, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, offensive line/run game coordinator Chris Foerster, and quarterback Brock Purdy... -
49ers announce roster moves ahead of Week 13 Friday practice
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez to the practice squad. To make room on the practice squad, the team released offensive lineman Cameron Erving. The 49ers Communications staff provided the following rundown. Gutierrez...