The San Francisco 49ers are in a bind right now with a lot of their players in sickbay. But the most alarming name is Jimmy Garoppolo. The 29-year-old quarterback suffered another ankle injury, initially thought of the same ankle he just recently recovered from.
According to Niners coach Kyle Shanahan, it is an entirely new ankle injury. The worst part of it is that it means that the quarterback will be missing at least six weeks. That layoff could be longer depending on what course of action Garoppolo opts to follow.
Season-ending surgery is suggested and the 29-year-old is now seeking the opinion of people and experts around him. As of this writing, there is no final word on what Garoppolo plans to do. But if he does opt for surgery, Shanahan will be forced to shut him out for the current NFL season, the Associated Press reported.
49ers’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be sidelined indefinitely with his high ankle sprain, source tells ESPN. 49ers feel he needs time to rest an injury that has bothered him since Week 2. Nick Mullens took over for Garoppolo on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/ujzkCunrLm — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 2, 2020
“When you have those high ankle sprains, you re-injure them a lot. But it was a different way that he did it. So it’s basically doing it all over again in a different way...It is worse than the last one. That’s why surgery is an option. We’re getting different doctors’ opinions now. Whatever is best for him long term is obviously what we’ll decide on,” Shanahan said.
Aside from Garoppolo, Shanahan has more on his plate. Also out for the season is George Kittle who suffered a broken foot. Both Garoppolo and Kittle lead a long list of 49ers in sickbay, giving Shanahan a lot to think of.
Questionable for their game against the Green Bay Packers are Deebo Samuel (hamstring), running back Tevin Coleman (knee), and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (hamstring). Rather than delve into these losses, Shanahan is focusing on who is healthy and looking for ways to win.
As for Garoppolo, the future is not looking bright. The 29-year-old is in the final two years of his contract and the time off could up that time. Also, it raises questions on the durability of Garoppolo. He has often been getting hurt and some feel it would be best for Shanahan to explore other options.
One name being suggested is Matt Ryan. With the Atlanta Falcons in rebuild mode, some believe that Shanahan will try to reunite with the 35-year-old quarterback at some point, KNBR reported. For now, all these should be taken with a grain of salt.
