about Jimmy Garoppolo

BY CAM INMAN

1. IS HIS KNEE READY?

Jimmy Garoppolo is the NFL’s biggest Man of Mystery entering the 2019 season. Questions abound whether the quarterback will return to the unbeaten form from his December 2017 debut with the 49ers or if he’ll come back too rusty after last season’s knee injury. Here are five pressing questions:

A titanium brace serves as a shining reminder of his left knee’s fragility, in the wake of last September’s torn anterior cruciate ligament. He’s progressed well with no known setbacks. Garoppolo’s mobility appears fine, but keep in mind his specialty is as a pocket passer. The first few games of the regular season should truly reveal how well he can roll out of the pocket and dodge pass rushers.

2. HOW IS HIS ABILITY TO THROW DEEP?

Garoppolo has not had much down-field production in his limited sample size of eight starts. He did channel enough ground force through his legs and hips to uncork a 70-yard touchdown pass early in training camp.

Summer mentoring by Southern California throwing guru Tom House definitely helped Garoppolo’s throwing mechanics.

carried over even after Garoppolo made the NFL. Tony Wolanski, the defensive coordinator at Rolling Meadows, remembers seeing a then-rookie Garoppolo at Lambeau Field after the Patriots lost a close game to the Packers.

“Jimmy hadn’t seen me in a year and a half, and right away he said, ‘Hey happy birthday, coach,’” Wolanski said. “He didn’t play, but they still lost a really tight game, and his first thought is, ‘Hey, coach, happy birthday.’ ”

Rolling Meadows offensive coordinator Charlie Henry said Garoppolo excelled in the mental aspect of the game. When Eastern Illinois was recruiting Garoppolo, Henry took an Eastern Illinois assistant to his office to show him what Garoppolo was asked to handle pre-snap.

“I drew up one of the plays, empty-set play, and Jimmy would have to decide whether we were sliding right or left on the protection, where the extra blocker would go, then determine which side of the field he was going to,” Henry said. “The coach looked at me like, ‘You ask a high school kid to do all that?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘That’s impressive.’ ” said. “It’s not, ‘Hey listen to me, I’m the quarterback, shut up.’ There’s just an aura to him that, when he gets in the huddle, he starts talking, there’s something about it that brings everyone together, everyone’s listening, ‘All right, this is our guy, we’re going to follow him, whatever he says goes.’ ”

Presumably, his second offseason with the 49ers also allowed him to fully grasp Kyle Shanahan’s complicated offense. That said, there’s no substitute for on-thefield experience.

“Jimmy hasn’t played a lot of football,” Shanahan said. “Everyone knows he’s talented, but he has to go through some situations and playing the position. I’m so pumped that he’s healthy.”

“He understands the offense like the back of his hand. He does all the things you ask of a quarterback,” Staley said. “He just hasn’t been out on the field. Last year was three games, and the year before that was five. So the thing for him is just to be out on the field.”

3. WILL HE RUN OUT OF BOUNDS?

His blue-collar, just-one-of-the-guys mentality made him an instant leader upon his 2017 arrival. But it also got him into trouble when he opted not to safely run out of bounds on that fateful, knee-injuring scramble at Kansas City in Week 3 last season. He now calls it a “no brainer” that he’d take the easy route out of bounds. Learn by doing.

Garoppolo’s quiet confidence has carried through to the pros, according to teammates, many who joined him for workout sessions at San Jose State this summer.

“He commands respect in his presence,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk

But will Garoppolo staying healthy lead to the 49ers’ long-awaited playoff return? After the relative anonymity of Rolling Meadows and Eastern Illinois and the scattered appearances over his first five NFL seasons, Garoppolo now faces more expectations and pressure than ever before.

For his part, he believes he’s the same Jimmy G he’s always been since his days at Rolling Meadows.

“I’ve always tried to be myself and never change too much,” Garoppolo said. “I think guys in that locker room see right through if you’re being fake, so just trying to be myself.”

4. HOW MUCH MONEY IS HE OWED?

Garoppolo has a $17.2 million base salary in Year 2 of the massive contract (five years, $137.5 million) he signed in February 2018. That deal included $48.7 million in guarantees, and the 49ers would sustain only a $4 million cap hit if they part with him prior to next season. They’re not cutting him, so look for $15.7 million of his $23.8 million salary for the 2020 season to become guaranteed April 1.

5. WHO ARE HIS FAVORITE TARGETS?

The 49ers want Dante Pettis to emerge as a more reliable target, so he and Garoppolo have made noticeable efforts to get on the same page, whether that’s been talking on the side at practice or working together afterward.

Rookie Deebo Samuel should become a fixture, as well. But tight end George Kittle and slot receiver Trent Taylor have the best on-field chemistry with Garoppolo thus far.