The 49ers have lost their second starting quarterback for at least the remainder of the 2022 NFL regular season. Jimmy Garoppolo, who has played well since regaining the starting job after Trey Lance fractured his fibula in Week 2, suffered his own left foot fracture in Sunday's Week 13 win over the Dolphins.
While he reportedly has a chance to return during the playoffs after doctors ruled out a Lisfranc injury, Garoppolo's absence leaves the 49ers thin on options at the QB position.
Garoppolo gave away to rookie Brock Purdy, the No. 262 overall pick and Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft, early in the game. Purdy delivered a supersub passing performance (25 of 37, 210 yards, two TDs, one INT, 88.8 rating) in leading the 49ers to a 33-17 victory.
Purdy didn't quite light it up, but he threw TD passes to Kyle Juszczyk early and Christian McCaffrey late. He also leaned on McCaffrey and the running game and ran the offense as the necessary complementary unit with the 49ers' defense thwarting Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami scoring machine. Purdy also spread the ball well to San Francisco's many other weapons.
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Purdy did everything the 49ers could have asked of an inexperienced, developing QB filling in for a veteran who knows Kyle Shahanan's scheme inside and out. Now comes the harder part, when teams have real film on Purdy's game.
The 49ers have challenges left in their schedule, including Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in the GOAT's homecoming to the Bay Area in Week 14. Then they play at the Seahawks, host the Commanders and travel to the Raiders before finishing at home against the Cardinals.
At 8-4, the 49ers lead the NFC West by a full game and a head-to-head tiebreaker (from that Week 2 win) over the Seahawks. They also are two games behind the No. 2 Vikings (10-4) and would be two games ahead of the No. 4 Buccaneers (5-6) if Tampa Bay beats New Orleans at home as expected on Monday night.
There's not much wiggle room for the 49ers. The Seahawks also have tough games (at Chiefs, vs. Jets) after playing San Francisco, making it unlikely that they will take back first place in the West regardless of the Week 15 showdown in Seattle. The Eagles and Vikings will be the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in the NFC, in some order.
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The 49ers, as a No. 3 seed now and likely later, are in line to play the No. 6 seed to open the NFC playoffs, which would mean hosting the Giants, Commanders or Seahawks. San Francisco is sitting pretty to win the division with Purdy, but anything beyond that is a lot more questionable with Garoppolo's status up in the air for the playoffs.
How does Jimmy Garoppolo's injury impact the 49ers' Super Bowl odds?
Before Garoppolo went down, the 49ers had +600 odds to win Super Bowl 57, per BetMGM. After he was injured Sunday, that number went up to +1100.
Latest BetMGM odds:
Consider that +600 going into Week 13 was tied with the 11-1 Eagles among NFC contenders, behind only the two AFC powerhouses, the Chiefs (+400) and Bills (+450). At +1100, the 49ers now fall behind the Cowboys, who were fifth on the board at +900. The Dolphins, Vikings and Bengals should remain well behind that pack.
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Based on the odds, San Francisco's misfortune was a further boost to Philadelphia's goal of winning the Super Bowl. But remaining in the top three to win the NFC shows how strong the 49ers are overall. It also is a sign of respect for a Shanahan system that is conducive to efficient QB play, even from a rookie such as Purdy.
