The San Francisco 49ers had their worst fears confirmed on Monday with news that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo tore his ACL against K.C.
When Jimmy Garoppolo went down in the fourth quarter, the San Francisco 49ers feared he might have torn his ACL in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Those fears came true on Monday after the quarterback received an MRI that confirmed that Garoppolo has indeed tore his anterior cruciate ligament.
Garoppolo was carted off to the Niners locker room late in the game against the Chiefs on Sunday after being hit by Steven Nelson. The cornerback delivered a hard blow only after the quarterback cut back into the field of play instead of running out of bounds. Garoppolo’s attempt to extend a play by a yard or two ended up costing him considerably, as his knee buckled below Nelson’s hit.
Without Garoppolo, the Niners will now turn to C.J. Beathard for the remainder of the season, a serious setback for a franchise that needed a full season with its brand new quarterback to mesh with head coach Kyle Shanahan in his second season. Now any development of the quarterback, growth of the playbook or establishment of chemistry is all on hold.
Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston noted the injury after the game and said it’s hard to see quarterbacks taking such chances. The Chiefs certainly would not want Patrick Mahomes to do the same in an attempt for a few more yards.
Chiefs LB Justin Houston on Garoppolo’s injury: “I think that was his fault. I pray he's not hurt & it's nothing serious; but as a quarterback, you should step out of bounds. It's only an inch; an inch wouldn't have made a difference...you gotta be smart, think about your team.”
— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) September 24, 2018
For a quarterback, thinking selfishly is actually thinking about the team. The QB is the keys to the car, so to speak. If the Chiefs lost Mahomes and had to start Chad Henne for the rest of the year, expectations would drop considerably and morale would be lost for a fan base that is now riding high watching an offensive juggernaut each week.
Garoppolo will now look to 2019 and a long year of rehabilitation ahead of him.