The offseason is already bringing better injury news for the 49ers than last year did. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Wednesday that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is progressing ahead of schedule in his return from an ACL tear in Week 3 of last season.
There isn’t any more important news for the 49ers this offseason than updates on their franchise quarterback. His torn ACL against the Chiefs effectively ended their season before it could get off the ground.
Garoppolo completed 59.6 percent of his throws for 718 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in his three games.
Despite an accelerated rehab, Shanahan said the team isn’t moving the quarterback’s timeline up at all. They’ll continue aiming for his full return in training camp.
Garoppolo will likely go through some drills in OTAs before camp, but there’s no reason to try and rush him into full 11-on-11 work. The team has an entire preseason to get him back to full speed. If he’s fully recovered in time for OTAs, the extra rest will only help him once he does get back on the field. The reward for getting Garoppolo back early does not come close to matching the risk.
San Francisco’s offseason schedule has not yet been announced. It appears they’re well on their way to having Garoppolo under center to start the regular season though. That’ll be essential for the team’s success in what’s shaping up to be a very important year.
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