The San Francisco 49ers received positive news on Friday regarding quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. On Monday, news broke that San Francisco could be without their starting quarterback for an extended period of time, potentially until the 2021 season. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, there is a possibility Garoppolo could make a return sooner than anticipated.
Garoppolo left the Week 8 contest against the Seattle Seahawks with a high-ankle sprain – a completely new, and worse sprain than the initial injury the quarterback suffered earlier in the season. Given the severity of the injury, the 49ers consulted several doctors on the potential of undergoing a procedure on his ankle, which would eliminate Garoppolo's chances of returning in 2020.
Shanahan revealed the quarterback will not need surgery, opening his chances for a potential return late in the season.
"Good news from the doctors is that none of them are recommending surgery right now," Shanahan said on Friday. "So, we're not going to do anything for at least 4-6 weeks. Rest it and then we'll re-evaluate it in 4-6 weeks. And hopefully, it heals up the way doctors are anticipating, and he'll be good to go then and not need surgery."
If on the later end of his expected return, Garoppolo could be on hand by Week 14-15 of the regular season, or as early as Week 12-13. But as of now, the team will err on the side of caution and look to Nick Mullens to continue leading the charge over the next several weeks.
Other Notes...
- Safety Jaquiski Tartt and nickel cornerback K'Waun Williams left Thursday night's contest against the Green Bay Packers with varying ailments. Tartt sustained "turf toe," which could potentially keep him sidelined for multiple weeks. The team is currently running additional tests on the strong safety to determine its severity. Williams suffered an ankle injury in the first half, which is feared to be a high-ankle sprain that could keep him out for an extended period of time. Like Tartt, Williams will undergo more testing this week to determine the extent of the sprain.
- On Friday, the 49ers announced they have activated Brandon Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne, Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams from the Reserve/Covid-19 List. On Wednesday, Bourne was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list following a false-positive test. Aiyuk, Samuel and Williams were found to be close contacts with Bourne, and were held out of Thursday's matchup due to league protocols. All four remained on the list until passing through COVID-19 protocols and are now able to return to the team facility.
- Samuel was previously ruled out of Thursday's game with a hamstring injury. He and running back Raheem Mostert could make potential returns in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints. Mostert was placed on Injured Reserve after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the Week 6 win over the Los Angeles Rams, and the 49ers have the option to open his practice window when the team reconvenes on Wednesday.
"That's not for sure (but) I'm hoping for it," Shanahan said. "I know they've got a chance. But we'll get a good look at them on Monday, and hopefully, we can at least get them in, limited, for Wednesday."
