Faithful Flashbacks #79: Jimmy Garoppolo’s Hot Start

No. 79 of our 'Faithful Flashbacks' series, counting down the 80 best moments in San Francisco 49ers history, features Jimmy Garoppolo’s hot start.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

May 19, 2026, 12:25 PM Updated: 12:46 pm

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In honor of the San Francisco 49ers celebrating their 80th anniversary, Sactown Sports is kicking off a countdown of the 80 greatest moments in the franchise’s illustrious history in reverse order called “Faithful Flashbacks.”

From Super Bowl-winning plays to overperforming teams that had minimal expectations, there’s plenty to choose from the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of the Sactown Sports’ staffers before results were compiled into a full list that will countdown to the 49ers’ 2026 NFL regular season debut against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10th.

Faithful Flashbacks -- San Francisco 49ers 80 Best Moments

Number 80, the first of the series, featured an infamous postgame handshake between head coach Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz. Next up, No. 79, is quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s hot start in red and gold.

Needing a reliable starting quarterback at the time, San Francisco made a mid-season deal with the New England Patriots, sending a 2018 second-round pick in exchange for Garoppolo.

After backing up Tom Brady for years, he stepped right into a starting role with the Niners and got off to a hot start. He ended the season with five straight regular-season wins, helping them secure a 6-10 record despite being 1-10 before he became the starter.

It reinvigorated hope among the 49ers’ fanbase before falling back to earth the following season, when Jimmy G. participated in just three games. Still, he went on to be their starter for six consecutive seasons, but never quite got over the hump.

Making one Super Bowl and two other NFL Championships was still a more than respectable run for Garoppolo’s time with San Francisco, and his hot start stole the show.

It was enough to earn the 79th spot in our Faithful Flasback series, counting down the best moments in 49ers franchise history until their first game of the 2026, their 80th season.