Does Jimmy Garoppolo Need Surgery?

Something doesn't add up.

Jimmy Garoppolo re-injured his high ankle sprain in Seattle on Nov. 1. That was more than 12 weeks ago. The 49ers said he'd be healthy in six to eight weeks and he did not need surgery.

But he never played again in 2020. And in January of 2021, he said his ankle still wasn't 100-percent healthy. And now, Ric Bucher reports that the severity of Garoppolo's ankle injury is one reason the 49ers are looking for a new quarterback.

Sounds to me like the ankle might need surgery. And if that's the case, what are the 49ers and Garoppolo waiting for?

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a high-ankle sprain on Oct. 19, 2019 when he was the quarterback at Alabama, and he had surgery to repair the injury, and he returned to action merely three weeks later.

The surgery was called a TightRope procedure. It's a new method that accelerates the healing process in high-ankle sprains. It seems strange that the 49ers can't rehabilitate Garoppolo's ankle when this procedure exists. If the University of Alabama has access to the TightRope surgery, shouldn't the 49ers as well?

Here's what Lynch said in January about the possibility of surgery for his franchise quarterback: "When he saw the specialist, the severity of his second high ankle led to, 'Hey, there is an option where he might have to have surgery.' We wanted to avoid that at all costs. We were able to do that. Unfortunately, we didn't get him back on the field, but he was around the team and that was important."

No, John. What's important is getting Garoppolo back on the field.

Look into the surgery. Pick up a pamphlet.