San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is unlikely to return this season after suffering a foot injury in Sunday’s home game against the Miami Dolphins, but there is some hope that he’ll be back for the playoffs.
Initially, it was reported that he suffered a broken foot and would be out for the rest of the year. But it may not be as serious as initially feared, and head coach Kyle Shanahan did say there’s “an outside chance” he comes back at some point in the postseason, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Speaking to David Lombardi of The Athletic, Dr. Eric Giza — the chief of the Orthopaedic Surgery department’s foot and ankle services at UC Davis — offered insight on Garoppolo’s injury, and what the 31-year-old could do to return earlier than expected.
Shanahan stated that Jimmy G doesn’t have any “ligament damage”. Dr. Giza told Lombardi, “If the concern was Lisfranc, he probably has a fracture somewhere in the second or third metatarsal.”
“The bone goes through its natural healing process,” Giza continued. “Usually, it takes bones six weeks to heal if it’s a break.”
Giza then went on to explain the treatments Garoppolo could go through in order to return earlier than hoped:
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“There are things like electromagnetic bone stimulators and pulsed ultrasound (technology) that stimulates bone growth. They’re probably going to have him in an AlterG — an antigravity training treadmill — and in the pool where you can be almost no body weight. Stuff you do for pros that keeps them in shape and engaged. That’s why, potentially, he can come back sooner.”
The 49ers attempted to trade Garoppolo in the offseason, but offseason shoulder surgery greatly limited his market. The two sides ultimately agreed to a restructured deal that saw him return as the backup to second-year QB Trey Lance.
Unfortunately, Lance suffered a season-ending ankle fracture in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Garoppolo was placed back into the starting role, and he won six of his nine starts before suffering the foot injury.
San Francisco is now relying on 2022 “Mr. Irrelevant” in Brock Purdy to save their season. He played well in relief of Garoppolo against Miami, completing 25 pass attempts for 210 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
The 49ers have won five straight games and sit atop the NFC West division with a record of 8-4, one game up on the 7-5 Seattle Seahawks. San Francisco will try to retain its lead on the division when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday.
