49ers Fear Jimmy Garoppolo Has Torn ACL

The 49ers fear starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a serious knee injury in Week 3’s contest against the Chiefs, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted following the game that an ACL tear is the fear for Garoppolo, and an MRI could confirm the news by Monday.

Garoppolo took a hit while running along the sideline in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game and looked to have injured his left knee. Trainers escorted him off the field via cart, and he was quickly ruled out for the remainder of Week action.

Losing Garoppolo would be a devastating blow for a 49ers team that had playoff aspirations entering the 2018 campaign. San Francisco has already lost one if its projected offensive focal points — free agent addition Jerick McKinnon — for the year after he suffered a torn ACL during training camp. Another knee injury, this time to Garoppolo, could further derail San Francisco’s postseason hopes.

With Garoppolo sidelined, the 49ers turned to backup C.J. Beathard for the remainder of their loss to the Chiefs. Beathard, a third-round pick in the 2017 draft, started five games for San Francisco before it acquired Garoppolo near last year’s trade deadline. The Iowa product completed 55% of his passes for 1,430 yards, four touchdowns, and six interceptions, and posted the second-lowest passer rating among NFL quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts.

The 49ers picked up Garoppolo from the Patriots in exchange for a second-round pick last November, and subsequently inked him to a five-year, $137.5MM extension after he won all five of his starts in the Bay Area. Through two starts this season, Garoppolo had managed 467 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.

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