49ers notebook: Kyle Shanahan says ‘I expect Garoppolo to be our starter next year’
Kyle Shanahan is aware of the speculation surrounding the future of the 49ers’ quarterback spot currently occupied by Jimmy Garoppolo. And San Francisco’s coach made one of his most declarative statements Tuesday regarding the uncertainty for 2021, though he didn’t make any guarantees.
“I expect Jimmy to be our starter next year,” Shanahan said on a Zoom conference call at the start of San Francisco’s bye week.
Garoppolo has been out since Nov. 1 when he suffered a second high ankle sprain to his right leg since the season began. Shanahan indicated he remains optimistic Garoppolo can return in December, perhaps for a playoff run if the 49ers (4-6) can reel off an unexpected winning streak following their three straight lopsided defeats to the Seahawks, Packers and Saints by a combined score of 98-57.
“I expect him to come and play with us this year. We have six games left. We are not out of the playoffs yet,” Shanahan said.
Then he made an indication it’s not a certainty Garoppolo, and his non-guaranteed $26.6 million cap figure, will be around next season. Garoppolo’s numbers have been down across the board in games he played in 2020, though the 49ers have been dealt a brutal hand when it comes to injuries as they try to defend their conference championship.
“We’ve got to do 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 somebody going into the future, this isn’t the case,” Shanahan said. “Jimmy has 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 (this season).”
Suffice to say, there remain a lot of moving parts when it comes to Shanahan’s decision on his starting quarterback for 2021. The team could end up in a position to add a quarterback early in the coming draft, or perhaps another veteran will become available in a trade or free agency that could provide a possible upgrade.
What Shanahan said Tuesday didn’t close any possibilities, including the potential of Garoppolo coming back, despite having two of his three seasons since signing his $137.5 million contract derailed by injuries. He’s currently dealing with a right ankle issue after tearing the ACL in his left knee in the third game of 2018.
Reinforcements coming after the bye
The 49ers should look like a different team when they return from their bye to play the Rams Nov. 29 in their first look at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Shanahan said he’s hopeful cornerback Richard Sherman (calf), running backs Raheem Mostert (high ankle sprain) and Tevin Coleman (knee sprain) and receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring strain) back for the NFC West match up. Sherman, currently on injured reserve, had his practice window opened last week. He would join Jason Verrett in the starting lineup to give San Francisco’s defense two cornerbacks capable of playing at a Pro Bowl level against L.A.
Shanahan was asked what kind of boost Samuel, Mostert and Sherman could bring in their returns.
“Just those two guys (Samuel and Mostert), it’s a huge boost,” Shanahan said. “Getting guys who you depend on, who’ve done a lot for us, I think you guys can see how Deebo’s been in just the games he’s played this year. How Sherm’s been, just even when he came out to practice the boost he gives.”
Shanahan also offered a thought against complacency and reiterated he wants his players to use the bye effectively, rather than just talk time off to relax and get out of football shape.
“We’re not going to win just because these guys are coming back,” he said. “These guys haven’t played football in a while and usually when they do come back, it takes them a week or so to get into it and to really affect a game. We’re going to win based off of whether the guys that we have get better or worse. I think we’ve got some guys giving everything, but I still think guys can take it to another level.
“I think there’s a number of guys out there, even like Brandon Aiyuk. He’s been playing great. He can take it to another level. So can Jason Verrett, so can Jimmie Ward, so can (Javon) Kinlaw, so can Trent Williams. Getting Deebo back, getting Raheem back, Sherm, that stuff is going to help big. That’s some juice we need, but we also don’t have much room for error with where our record is right now.”
Pandemic impacts bye week planning
The coronavirus pandemic has altered how NFL teams handle their bye weeks. And for the 49ers, who placed defensive lineman Arik Armstead on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week, it won’t be vacation time away from Santa Clara this week. Players and staffers are still required to go to the facility for daily testing.
“With Arik getting on the COVID list and the stuff that happens with that, being in intensive protocol and everything, we aren’t going to have anybody up in the building this week,” Shanahan said. “I was going to go Tuesday and Wednesday, but because of this, we’re going to put that off.”
Shanahan said position coaches will meet with their groups over Zoom and players will return to the facility for light walk throughs on the practice field, but players likely won’t be allowed inside the building because of COVID protocols. For now, the plan is for players to be allowed back in the following Monday to begin preparing for the Rams game.
Regarding Armstead, who played Sunday and flew home with the team afterwards, Shanahan said there were other close contacts who also might end up on the reserve/COVID-19 list, as Williams, Samuel and Aiyuk were before the Week 9 game against the Packers that prevented them from playing.
▪ Shanahan said the team plans to put a waiver claim on pass rusher Takkarist McKinley, the former Falcons first-round draft pick who recently failed his physical with the Cincinnati Bengals and became available for the second time in two weeks.
The team will find out Wednesday at 1 p.m. if they’ll be awarded McKinley, a native of the East Bay, off waivers. San Francisco sits at No. 12 in the waiver order.
▪ The 49ers on Tuesday placed reserve safety Johnathan Cyprien (hamstring), backup running back JaMycal Hasty (fractured collar bone) and defensive back Jared Mayden (quadriceps strain) on injured reserve.
Hasty will have surgery likely ending his season. Mayden is also not expected to play again in 2021. Cyprien will be out a few weeks, Shanahan said.
Linebacker Mark Nzeocha, who has been out since Week 3 with a quad injury, running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (high ankle sprain) both have outside chances to play against the Rams, but are more likely to return the following week in the Monday night home game against the Buffalo Bills.
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 5:29 PM.
