Jimmy Garoppolo isn't supposed to be here.
The San Francisco 49ers made explicit plans last summer to move on from the game-management era. Kyle Shanahan named 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance the starter in July. Garoppolo had already said his goodbye, ready to take on the next chapter of his NFL career ahead of an anticipated offseason trade.
But things changed starting in the preseason. A trade didn't transpire. Garoppolo got a new deal. Then Lance got hurt in Week 2. Now, 12 weeks into the NFL season, Garoppolo is in the midst of the best campaign of his career for a 49ers team that sits atop the NFC West at 7-4.