Jimmy Garoppolo, now fully healthy, is looking to stay that way and live up to his expectations.
His expectations.
Not those of fans or coaches or the 49ers front office or the $137.5 million contract.
“No pressure to live up to it,” the 49ers quarterback said in a phone interview Tuesday, while promoting Men’s Wearhouse’s annual Suit Drive, which provides gently used professional attire to those re-entering the workplace.
“It’s more I put pressure on myself to perform at a high level, regardless of the situation. I don’t know. It’s kind of something I was born with or whatever you want to call it. It’s the competitor in you. You want to go out there and perform at a high level. That’s why we put in all this time, to be honest. You have to. You can’t just throw the helmet out there and expect to get a W. You’ve got to earn it. That’s one of the great things about this league is nothing is given. You’ve got to earn everything you get.”
Now in his sixth season, Garoppolo is a veteran player. Having started only 10 games, Garoppolo is a young player.
Does he feel old or young in football years?
“There are moments of both, no doubt about it, especially when the rookies come in,” Garoppolo said. “That adds a whole other factor to it, them being younger than my younger brother. It’s fun. That’s what makes the locker room so great is there are so many different age groups, dynamics, people coming from all over the country. We all come together for one common goal. It’s pretty cool.”
Garoppolo, 27, has played enough that he is convinced he can become the quarterback the Patriots believed they were drafting in the second round in 2014 and the 49ers thought they were getting when they traded with New England to get him in 2017. Now, it’s a matter of doing it.
“But you have to go out there and prove it,” Garoppolo said. “It’s a league of you’re not going to be given anything. Whether you go out there and earn it, that’s up to you.”
