Happily ever after, so far, for 49ers and Jimmy Garoppolo

Posted By on January 30, 2020

MIAMI — This is a love story.

At first it was just an arranged marriage. A shocking one. Jimmy Garoppolo thought he was the heir apparent to Tom Brady on the New England Patriots, thought he’d replace Brady at some point soon and become the face of the best organization in American sports. Then one day the Patriots traded Garoppolo to the winless 49ers, just like that. Goodbye, Jimmy. Good luck in Santa Clara. We’re divorcing you.

What a freaking comedown, right?

“Yeah, kind of, I guess,” Garoppolo said as he blushed and gave a diplomatic smile. “At first I felt just about every emotion you could feel. I was excited, confused, sad.”

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick called Garoppolo to tell him the news. “Coach was always very honest with me,” said Garoppolo, who still to this day refers to Belichick as “Coach,” while the 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan is just “Kyle.”

Garoppolo continued: “That’s the main thing I really appreciated about Coach — when he called, there was no beating around the bush. It was right to the point. He said he appreciated everything, and I said the same to him. The guy taught me so much about the pro game and the ins and outs of it. I appreciate everything he did for me, all those coaches in New England. My time there was good.”

Even now, Garoppolo sounds a tiny bit wistful when he speaks about his previous team.

Click here to read the rest of my story.

This article has 52 Comments

  1. An arranged marriage is one that can blossom. Both parties can grow to love one another given time and effort.

    1. Having traveled the world, I can tell you tens of millions if not hundreds of millions arranged marriages flourish and grow into true love. There are many aspects of arranged marriages that are preferential to the regular western courtship & marriage. Parents typically look for a good match for what they know will work with their child. It’s a dispassionate way to figure out a good relationship after the excitement of newness wares away. If Bill Belichick was really looking to do right by Jimmy G and put him in a good situation then I can think of no better matchmaker than Bill Belichick. He knew JGs strengths & weaknesses; he knew the offensive scheme Shanny runs; and he put them together. Match made in Heaven — or at least match made in Boston.

  2. My grandmother was a ‘Picture Bride’. She was sent here, armed with only a picture of her future husband. I can only imagine her courage to come to a foreign land, not knowing a word of English, and expected to become a wife of a person she had never met before. That was an arranged marriage. Tragically, her husband died in an accident on the railroad, so she had to go back. Fortunately, my grandfather was an acquaintance of the deceased, so he went back and asked her to return. So, in the end, it became a love story.

    1. When Niners win out in the huge action this weekend, will fans celebrate till July 9 — Jeff Fisher Day?

      1. I’ll be celebrating until April 20. Otherwise known as the 49ers record since 2017 without Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting QB.

        1. Jack, what is your confidence level on the 1-10 scale that the 49ers will defeat the Chiefs?

  4. Buckner vs. Wisniewski will leave Andy yelling a lot more than just aww, Heck!

    Mahomes ranks 12th in passer rating and 14th in QBR when he gets the ball out within two seconds of the snap. He’s top 7 in both categories holding it longer than 2 Mississippi’s.

    Shanny is drooling when looking at the Chiefs FS and LB’s. Exploitation and obliteration!

  6. Maybe more than any other SB in history the 2 most important people on the field are the the 2 HC’s. This is truely going to be a Shanahan Vs. Reid football game. I believe which ever coach has a better game plan and a better day calling plays will win this game. I don’t know if there has ever been a SB with two greater offensive minds competing against each other. I think it is going to be a barn burner and very well may come down to who has the ball last. Go Niners!!!!!

    1. Agree with this. 2 of the best offensive minds in football going head to head. Both offenses will put points on the board. That’s why I think the real coaching matchup is on the defensive side of the ball. Game is going to come down to the game plans put together by Steve Spagnulo and Robert Saleh. Which defense will get stops? The 49ers defense has been better all year. KC isn’t great at running the ball. They are probably the best team throwing the ball in the NFL. 49ers have the #1 pass defense in the NFL. I give the edge to the 49ers. My prediction is:

      49ers – 31
      Chiefs – 28

  7. Jimmy Garoppolo has the life man. QB of a marquee team in America’s most popular game. Playing in the Superbowl. Mid 20s. Wealthy. Single. Great looks. Hell I might put this guy on my kitchen pass list.

    1. @Faith+9er Why is it a shame that he doesn’t want to be a DC. It just means that we won’t lose him to another team.

      1. Because when Saleh leaves as he inevitably will after next season, we need a good DC.

        Joe Woods will most likely leave for the Browns.

  9. George Kittle provided some keen insights. They related to JG.
    .
    Kittle mentioned that the Niners played hard, but lost all of those close games. He stated that the Niners finally learned how to win, and that was why they are in the SB. How did they learn to win? I think it was JG who led the way.
    .
    When JG first came here, and was surprised at the emotion of the Niners winning their first game after losing 9 straight, he realized that the Niners wanted to win so bad, even beating a poor Giants team was cathartic, and a huge accomplishment. Well, JG showed them how to win. Many here were complaining that the 5 game win streak that JG led, put the Niners in the 9th position in the draft. If the Niners were content to lose, they could have gotten a top 2 pick. I contended that it was much more important to win those games, because winning is a mindset, and JG was leading the way, exhibiting some of that Patriot mojo. Winning is not only a mindset, it is contagious, just like losing is.
    .
    Then the Niners had the setback of JG tearing his ACL, and the Niners struggled. Fortunately, they still fought hard, yet Jed was happy they were rewarded with the Number 2 pick. The acquisition of Bosa and Greenlaw, and the signing of Kwon and Ford, helped fill in the missing pieces.
    .
    JG has been everything I wanted in a QB. He is accurate, a field general and clutch. He showed how to win games, and has been a leader both on and off the field. He established that winning culture, and it all started with that 5 game winning streak to end the 2017 season.
    .
    This has been a magical season, and the Niners are poised for greatness. I want the Niners to win out, unlike some who wanted to play twice in the Clink, expecting the Niners to lose, and have to endure not having that first round bye.

    1. “ JG has been everything I wanted in a QB”

      Except when earlier in the year you said Mullen’s was the best QB on the roster. Remember you creamed your pants over a preseason practice?

      1. So desperate. At that time, JG was coming back from an ACL, so Mullens was fully healthy, and the better option. We did not know if JG could take a hit and bounce back.
        .
        I was merely taking the cautious approach. Do not force JG to play if his knee is not fully recovered. That was also after JG threw 5 picks in a row, so he was not excelling. Glad JG showed that his knee was not showing any regression, although the history of many ACL tears demonstrate the need to take more time to fully heal.

    2. Learning to win is bs.
      They Won a meaningless game with Kaep and then… proceeded to lose a lot of games the next year. They won 5 straight games at the end of the year only … to lose a lot of games after jimmy went down.

      Did the team forget how to win when Jimmy got hurt? No, they just weren’t as good.

      1. No. You are disagreeing with Kittle. Personally, I will take what Kittle says over you.
        .
        Yes, the team could not win when they initially lost their franchise QB. It is common sense to think that losing their franchise QB would make it a lot harder to win. All that losing under CJB showed that they did not learn how to win without JG. That is why they lost. If they knew how to win, they would have won, even if they are not as good.

        1. Hmmm so the team didn’t learn how to win. Only Jimmy G did I guess?

          Losing a franchise qb will cause teams to lose even if they know how to win… because they have less talent.

          1. JG brought that Patriot mojo with him. He gave me hope, which is half the battle.
            .
            Winning is contagious, just like losing.
            .
            9 game losing streaks prove my point that they just did not know how to win. They had some close games, but KS did not know how to close out games. Once JG became the leader, he led them to victory.

      1. Prime remember what you said, this team is special. Only a few know that. Stay the course, its in the bag.

      2. Swami is a Buffalo Bills fan……

        under is on point……it is in the bag……

        It’s really sad how these talking heads have no clue about the team……not one of them have mention the most important player in the secondary, the best NCB in the league K’Waun Williams…….

  12. Hey. I just found out that the hosts of the SB party I’m attending are serving KC barbeque. We’re all niner fans, so what’s up with that?

    Actually, I’ve never had KC barbeque. It better be good.

        1. Speaking of crap, a Lyft driver I had today is not a fan of Miami Cuban food (though a Miami native, his family originally from Georgia). He was like… “black beans and rice, meh. A Cuban sandwich? Some pork and a pickle. What’s that?” Lol. Don’t tell Grant.

          1. How’s the trip going, Rib?
            I lived in Miami for 2 years in the 80s. Tried a lot of the restaurants. Liked the food but could not become a big fan of the cuisine. The ingredients are alright, but a little more strategic use of spices would make it more tasty.
            Have not been back for a visit. It will probably be unrecognizable from all the growth.

            1. Mood, it’s been going great so far. Spent today (Friday) in the Wynwood district. Damn, block after block of old warehouses covered with amazing street art and murals. I found it much more interesting than the south beach/ocean drive scene. Gentrification, sure, but it still seems to retain the soul of a unique place in the United States. Luckily, very hard to find the chain restaurants and outlets that plague the McCities that dot the American landscape. It reminds me of New Orleans (and yes San Francisco) in that way.

          2. He obviously hasn’t had a real Cuban sandwich. Miami and Tampa both claim to have the original “real” Cubans. Tampa Cubans have salami and are my favorite. The Lyft driver is from Georgia so what can we expect? He’s probably always looking for Brunswick stew (which is pretty good!).

    2. cubus, I’m thinking that I’d back out of that Super Bowl party! You’re right. What’s up with that? Just kidding. K.C. barbeque is great if it’s done right. Enjoy! Go Niners!

    3. Texas BBQ probably the best, but KC, Louisiana, and Memphis styles are good too.
      Carolina style with the vinegar isn’t for me.

      Come on over Cubus, there are direct flights Seattle to Santa Rosa.
      Sunday menu a chez nous:
      Veggie platter, salumi&cheese platter, slow cooked chicken legs, and pulled pork over nachos.
      Dessert options dependent upon game outcome:
      A glass of California’s best sparkling wine ? ?
      Or possibly some nails to chew on ? (No tv smashing like Seahawk fans!)

      1. I just got back to Seattle after 5 weeks in SF. Had I left after the SB, I might just have taken you up on that tempting offer. Sounds delish. Enjoy the SB, Franklin!

        Now I wonder what “Dessert options dependent upon game outcome” means. LOL.

  13. The Athletic has offered an opportunity to troll the fans of the other playoff teams. KC fans are passionate and get angry easily. They had a comparison of Kittle and Kelce. I added my following thoughts on Kittle:

    Rookie referees reflexively announce him as eligible receiver when he steps on to the field.

    Confronted with playing with a torn labrum, he once tore his other labrum because symmetry is aesthetically pleasing to him.

    NFL linebackers vote him as starting in Pro Bowl in their position.

    Bone chips on his ankle flake off in embarrassment lest they be a hindrance in his coming off breaks.

    A knee capsule that popped during the November drubbing of the Packers popped itself right back into place during his post-game presser,

    DBs who finally catch up with him in the end zone join him in the TD celebrations.

    He’s the People’s Tight End — the most interesting tight end in the world.

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