Jimmy Garoppolo may have avoided Lisfranc Injury, says Kyle Shanahan Monday

A small silver lining for the 49ers faithful as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot injury may not be as significant as it could be.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Monday, via conference call, that Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a season-ending injury to his left foot, but that testing is still underway to determine the extent of the injury. Garoppolo will also have to meet with a specialist to get the final diagnosis of his foot fracture.

The 49ers QB suffered the injury on the team’s first series of the day in Week 13. Taking a sack on third down, Jimmy G’s left foot was rolled up on by Miami Dolphins’ linebackers Jaelan Phillips and Jerome Baker.  Toward the end of the tackle, Phillips’ knee bent Garoppolo’s foot at an awkward angle, likely causing the break. The hit left the 49ers’ QB in a lot of pain, walking gingerly to the sideline after the play. Jimmy G went immediately into the medical tent before getting carted to the locker room.

He was ruled out of the contest shortly after.

While Shanahan was non-committal on the exact injury (more tests are still on the way), the belief at the moment is that Jimmy did not suffer a Lisfranc injury to his left foot. Potentially huge news for Garoppolo’s timetable, especially with free agency only three months away.

“They were talking about it last night but they’re starting to believe that it isn’t [a LisFranc injury], so that’s good news, but it’s not all done. They have to finalize it so we don’t want to give you any false information,” Shanahan reiterated to the media Monday.

The head coach also shared that Jimmy Garoppolo returned to the 49ers’ facilities Monday for team meetings and is in good spirits despite facing another injury setback in his career.

Shanahan said it might be that Jimmy Garoppolo avoided the dreaded lisfranc foot injury. He is seeking opinions from specialists right now. Bottom line: His diagnosis/prognosis has not yet been nailed down. https://t.co/oNlRlM1Gxw

— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) December 6, 2022

Jimmy Garoppolo will finish his 2022 campaign with 2,437 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in only 11 games this season.

A seemingly never-ending injury list, the 49ers have lost two starting quarterbacks in the span of a few months. Despite the heart-wrenching injuries, San Francisco is determined to make the most of this season, still looking for its sixth Super Bowl.

“I know this is a big loss. But I do believe our team is built for this,” Shanahan stated. “We are going to go out there and play football the best we can every week. That’s what we’ve done and what we will continue to do.”

The 49ers have already signed another quarterback to fill the backup positions, snagging QB Josh Johnson off the Denver Broncos practice squad Sunday night. An Oakland native, Johnson last played in 2021 for the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, going 1-1 while throwing five TDs and two INTs.

Another quarterback also hit the market Monday after the Carolina Panthers released Baker Mayfield. While there may be some interest in the former Heisman trophy winner, Shanahan seems pretty set with rookie Brock Purdy at the helm for now.

“We look into everything but that would surprise me right now. We’ve got to discuss more this afternoon. I’ve always been a fan of his but I feel really good about our players. We’ll look into everything but I feel pretty good with where we’re at,” Shanahan said.

Along with Garoppolo, defensive end Nick Bosa is dealing with hamstring irritation from the game that will need to be monitored this week. Defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway is also dealing with a pectoral strain and will be out for six to eight weeks. Cornerback Tarvarius Moore has a knee sprain and will be sidelined a few weeks.

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