Jimmy Garoppolo Explains Why He Throws Flatfooted
SANTA CLARA -- Jimmy Garoppolo has a bad habit.
He throws almost all of his passes flatfooted like he's stuck in mud. This helps him get the ball out of his hands quickly in the face of pressure, but he does this even when he isn't under pressure, and it compromises his accuracy and velocity. It's the main reason you see him sail at least one five-yard pass over a receiver's head every game.
His feet just die. Most good quarterbacks keep their feet alive and drive off their back foot when they throw. Picture Tom Brady. He transfers his weight and uses his entire body to throw. Not Garoppolo. He uses his upper body only. This leads to inconsistency.
"I know you’re not the only quarterback to do this," a reporter said Garoppolo on Wednesday, "but you have an ability to throw flatfooted and just kind of torque your body to generate whatever is happening there. Have you always kind of done that and have you ever had coaches say, no, no, you’ve got to be stepping and that's not proper?"
"Well, you want to have your feet in the ground," Garoppolo explained. "I mean, the more cleat you get out in the ground, the more force you develop. And I think that's part of it. But yeah, I haven't put too much thought into it. I think just when you're in a good rhythm as a quarterback, that's when you can really be your best. It's just different on each play. Whether it's the coverage, the blitz, what you have to do in the pocket, if you're flatfooted or on your toes moving, I think it just depends on that play in particular.”
But it doesn't just depend on that play in particular.
Garoppolo throws flatfooted every play. It's his thing.
He needs to knock it off.
