The San Francisco 49ers could have another tough quarterback decision on their hands, depending on how far they advance in this year’s NFL postseason.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan stated that “the goal” remains for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to return for the NFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
“That’s still the goal,” Shanahan said. “He’s not out there running and stuff like that, so it’s still a little ways.”
Garoppolo suffered a broken foot in the 49ers’ Week 13 home game against the Miami Dolphins. It was initially feared that he would have to miss the remainder of the 2022 campaign, but if the 49ers can win one or two playoff games (certainly very doable), Shanahan might be able to go back to his starter of six years.
Of course, it’ll be hard for Shanahan to remove Brock Purdy from the starting lineup if his play remains strong. The 2022 “Mr. Irrelevant” is 4-0 as a starter, with 10 touchdowns against just four interceptions on the year.
The 49ers brought back Garoppolo for the 2022 season on a new deal, and he was inserted back into the starting duties when Trey Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.
