The fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV did not go the 49ers’ way last Sunday, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Thursday that their offensive struggles down the stretch haven’t changed the way he feels about quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Shanahan said at a press conference that his belief in the quarterback is the “same as it was the day before the Super Bowl.” Shanahan pointed to a bigger picture than the final minutes of the loss to the Chiefs when discussing that belief.
“He was on his way . . . close to being the Super Bowl MVP,” Shanahan said. “We all didn’t make those plays toward the end. We made those plays all year, our whole team. That’s one of the reasons we were there. Whenever you don’t make those plays at the end of the game like that, first and foremost, the quarterback’s going to get attacked and then usually the play caller. We understand that’s how it goes.”
Shanahan called Garoppolo one of the main reasons that the 49ers made it to the Super Bowl and noted his limited experience as a starter in the NFL. Garoppolo has made 26 career starts after serving as a backup in New England and tearing his ACL in 2018 and Shanahan’s comments on Thursday suggest he’ll be making many more in a 49ers uniform.