They have players coming back from knee injuries, they have a good stage set.
No doubt one of the must-see things for 2019 is the return of 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He went down too early and in the most devastating fashion that many fans forgot that there were still 13 games left in the season to play. Garoppolo has yet to play a full NFL season, something that is a legitimate concern, but if he can get out of 2019 could he be the NFL’s comeback player of the year?
The folks over at Pro Football Focus put together a list of 10 candidates for the Comeback Player of the Year award and Jimmy Garoppolo made the list:
The trade for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo brought about a revitalization of the San Francisco 49ers’ franchise, and it finally marked the end of the quarterback drought that had plagued them from 2013 to the latter stage of the 2017 season.Garoppolo made his first start for the team in Week 13, and he put all concerns about sample size behind him, as went on to record overall grades of 70.0 or higher in all five of his games until the close of the season. He ended his first season with the ‘Niners with an 86.6 overall grade, and he displayed remarkable, game-changing poise both from a clean pocket (110.1 passer rating – sixth among quarterbacks) and while under pressure (108.0 passer rating against unblocked pressure) – much like his mentor during his time in New England.
The quarterback position didn’t pan out how the 49ers had planned after re-signing
Garoppolo in the offseason. After Garoppolo’s ACL tear in Week 3, both C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens posted mediocre passing grades of 65.5 and 66.7, respectively, and the ‘Niners lost all the momentum they had built up with the arrival of their franchise quarterback. With almost a full season of rehab, Garoppolo will be looking forward to retaking the reigns of the offense and proving that 2017 was no fluke.
Garoppolo has a lot on his plate for 2019. His durability is one thing to watch, but he’s also had another year to study film and Kyle Shanahan’s system. He’s even been spending time with former 49ers offensive coordinator and Kyle Shanahan’s father, Mike. The 49ers have put several pieces in place to help Garoppolo, now it’s a matter of executing. The sky is the limit with one AFC exec saying Garoppolo could be the next Patrick Mahomes. If that were to happen, the Comeback Player of the Year award is Garoppolo’s for the taking.
Garoppolo wasn’t the only person to make PFF’s list. They also listed recent free agent acquisition Jason Verrett as another candidate:
If there is ever a comeback story to get behind, it’s this one. Verrett, a supremely talented cornerback out of TCU, has managed all of 1,266 snaps over his first five years in the league, no thanks to his improbably bad injury luck. However, in his lone “full” season in 2015 (and even that consisted of only 720 snaps), he managed to put together an elite 90.9 coverage grade while allowing a passer rating of just 82.9 on throws into his coverage.
If he can stay healthy (and it is a big if), he is, without doubt, a starting-caliber cornerback, one that can bring the ‘Niners defense back to former glory.
The Verrett health has been the big X-factor for the 49ers. Given what the 49ers got the cornerback for this could be the signing of the year. Verrett needs to stay healthy, if he can do that, the 49ers will have some serious money managing to do in 2020 when he’ll be looking for more money.
Do you see either of them making a serious push for NFL Comeback Player of the Year? Do you see someone else? Who and what would they need to do to make it into the conversation?
About the Author: Insidethe49
