Joe Montana Says it’s ‘A Little Early’ to Call Garoppolo the 49ers’ Franchise Quarterback

San Francisco 49ers legend Joe Montana is still a little hesitant to call Jimmy Garoppolo the savior of San Francisco.

Apr 10, 2018, 12:00 AM Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:26 am

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by Matt George – Sports 1140 KHTK Reporter

Talk about a quick turnaround. The San Francisco 49ers went from being in the cellar of the NFL, winless in their first nine weeks of the 2017 season, to on top of the world, winning six of their last seven games. What changed? The man under center.

The 49ers shocked the world with a blockbuster trade in the middle of the season, acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots, which has set them on a rapid path back to prominence. After their strong finish, the franchise wasted little time locking up Garoppolo to a five-year, $137.5 million deal.

While it is alright to be excited, there is such a thing as jumping the gun when it comes to fan expectations for Jimmy G and the 49ers next season. Tuesday morning on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football”, 49ers legend Joe Montana brought a lot of cautious optimism to the table.

"I think there's a lot of excitement in the Bay Area for him."@JoeMontana shares his thoughts on the start of the Jimmy G era with the @49ers pic.twitter.com/XuZ49B08CQ

— GMFB (@gmfb) April 10, 2018

In his six appearances last season, Garoppolo finished with a completion percentage of 67.4 with 1,560 total yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions.