Jimmy Garoppolo Shouldn't be Offended by 49ers Quarterback Rumors

One of the consequences of the 49ers sticking their nose in the quarterback market is a potential fracture with Jimmy Garoppolo.

One of the consequences of the 49ers sticking their nose in the quarterback market is a potential fracture with Jimmy Garoppolo.

If the 49ers are not able to upgrade from him, which I believe Garoppolo is the undoubted starter in 2021, then he is certainly going to take offense to the 49ers trying to move on from him. 

Garoppolo's impact since joining the 49ers has been noted with his impressive 22-8 win-loss record. Surely when he see's the 49ers tied to another quarterback, he is going to feel disrespected.

However, Garoppolo shouldn't be offended over the quarterback rumors.

The only reason the 49ers are actually floating the idea around and considering it is because of Garoppolo's failure to stay healthy. He just cannot find the field, and while fans of Garoppolo love to throw out his winning record, notice how his missed games are never brought up. Garoppolo has started in 30 of the 56 games (including playoffs) with the 49ers. He has missed almost as many games as he has started. That is absurd for a starting quarterback.

Now I know that there is a case to be made that when he is healthy, he drastically improves the 49ers' chances of winning. There is actually a ton wrong with that statement. Anytime you have to mention "when he is healthy" about a quarterback, that is a massive red flag. A starting quarterback should not have that narrative around them. Teams can get away with plenty of players injured. The 2019 49ers are a testament to that.

But what they can't cover up is the starting quarterback being inactive. 

Having to rely on a backup quarterback for more than a couple of games means that the season is going to derail. That is exactly what happened to the 49ers this past season. And who else is Kyle Shanahan going to roll out there? Nick Mullens? C.J. Beathard? 

Obviously Garoppolo drastically improves the chances of winning over backup quarterbacks. I would hope that is the case considering how much his contract is holding the salary cap hostage. 

Garoppolo should not be offended at the quarterback rumors surrounding the 49ers. In fact, this is a case of where he should not feel any type of way. This should be a humbling moment for him because if Shanahan didn't like him, then he would've been cut already. Just look at how the Rams were willing to ship off Jared Goff so quickly after their playoff exit.

Garoppolo has brought these quarterback rumors upon himself. He as no one to blame but himself. If he was healthy in 2020 and played average, then there is likely no emphasis on quarterback rumors. This is why all you see is a ton of rumors, hypotheticals, and such. So when Garoppolo returns to the 49ers' facility, he should just continue to laugh and smile as always.

And hopefully, he takes these rumors as motivation to solidify himself with the team, not as an act of offense.