Jimmy Garoppolo will get another chance to lead the San Francisco 49ers as their starting quarterback.
He entered the 2022 NFL season as the 49ers' backup, but his situation changed in a major way Sunday.
Second-year quarterback Trey Lance, who was named the 49ers' starter in July, suffered a broken ankle in the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks. The injury will end Lance's season, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after his team's 27-7 victory in Week 2.
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The 49ers selected Lance with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. After naming Lance the starter, San Francisco wasn't able to find a trade partner for Garoppolo over the last couple months and decided to keep him instead. That decision might end up saving the team's season.
Garoppolo is an experienced quarterback who's led the 49ers on deep playoff runs in 2019 (Super Bowl loss) and 2021 (NFC Championship Game loss). He doesn't often put up eye-popping stats, but he consistently finds ways to win games.
Since the 49ers hired Shanahan in 2017, they have a 35-16 record when Garoppolo starts and a 8-29 record when he doesn't.
Garoppolo played well Sunday against the Seahawks. He completed 13 of 21 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown with zero interceptions. He also ran for a touchdown.
The 49ers' upcoming schedule isn't easy. They will play Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos on the road in Week 3, and then host the defending champion Los Angeles Rams in Week 4.
They'll need Garoppolo to step up and lead the offense through this difficult stretch, and he should have all the motivation in the world after being benched in the offseason. He has no shortage of doubters to prove wrong.