The San Francisco 49ers’ franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will lead the charge for the remainder of the 2022 campaign after first-year starter Trey Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Sunday’s 27-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Garoppolo is currently playing on the final year of his lucrative five-year $137.5 mil contract dating back to the 2018 offseason. The soon-to-be free agent will have much to prove if he looks to continue his NFL career. In doing so, he must overcome these obstacles:
Garoppolo vs. Strength of Schedule
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Having the fifth-highest strength of schedule in the league, several of the Niners’ remaining opponents include: the Rams and Cardinals for two contests each; and the Chiefs, Chargers, Saints, Dolphins, and Buccaneers for one.
In his article about the 49ers’ 2022 strength of schedule, David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone wrote:
“San Francisco’s upcoming opponents went 154-135 in 2021. The team’s schedule will include seven matchups against opponents coming off a playoff appearance (Rams twice, Cardinals twice, Chiefs, Buccaneers, Raiders).”
Further, this is the highest strength of schedule of Garoppolo’s career — the second highest was .527 in his 2019 Super Bowl run. If Garoppolo needed an incentive to perform better than his previous four years, then here it is. Which leads to another key obstacle…
Garoppolo’s Injury History
Upon signing his five-year contract, Garoppolo has had numerous injuries that have sidelined him for 24 games. Several of his major injuries include his ACL tear in 2018; his high ankle sprains in 2020; and his right thumb fracture and UCL tear which he played through up to the 49ers’ NFC Championship Game defeat. He also had offseason shoulder surgery from a sprain he sustained in the 49ers’ 23-17 Wild Card Round win over the Dallas Cowboys.
One of Garoppolo’s main tasks is to avoid getting hurt. In doing so, he must avoid taking many sacks and hits — neither statistic have been all too friendly to him.
Final Thoughts
Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 154 passing yards, one touchdown, and 13 completions on 21 attempts. Despite being sacked once, he also rushed in for a score. Following Trey Lance’s injury, Garoppolo led the 49ers to scoring 24 points a week after scoring just ten.
Garoppolo is set to make $26.5 mil in likely his final year in San Francisco. His season got off to a strong start, but the task of proving his worth on another team is far from over.
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