SANTA CLARA — Jimmy Garoppolo’s quick adjustment to being under center seemed to happen flawlessly, but the 49ers' quarterback admitted it had an oddly familiar feel.
Even though it is Garoppolo’s fifth season with the club, taking the reins in San Francisco's 27-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Levi's Stadium after Trey Lance left the game with a broken right ankle, was a shock. Like the entire locker room, Garoppolo was saddened for the young quarterback especially understanding the magnitude of the injury.
“Feel terrible for Trey,” Garoppolo told reporters after the game. “I’ve been on that side of it. This league is tough and everyone has their share of injuries, but that sucks for him. Feel bad for him, but he’s our brother and we’ll pick him back up. Trey is a tough dude, he will be alright.”
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Garoppolo has experienced a devastating injury of his own, a season-ending ACL tear in 2018, which makes him sympathetic to what Lance is going through. The veteran knows how tough it can be to rehab back to full strength.
Garoppolo isn’t that far removed from offseason shoulder surgery that ultimately kept him from being traded to another team as a starter. Now healthy, the veteran is in the perfect position to resume his role as the leader of the 49ers' offense.
The parallel storylines were not lost on Garoppolo.
“It was weird,” Garoppolo said. “It took me a couple series. I think I was sitting on the sidelines, I forget who I was even talking to. Talking about it coming full circle. I’ve been in Trey’s shoes. It sucks going through that. It’s tough as a young player but he’ll come back better from it. If you do that it’ll set you up for success in the future. That’s what I’m doing.
San Francisco 49ers
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Garoppolo and the rest of the locker room no doubt will be an incredible support system for Lance as he begins his journey back to the field. The second-year quarterback is scheduled for surgery on Monday and the club will support him every step of the way.