Unless you are a fan of one of the other NFC West teams shaking at the potential thought of Jimmy Garoppolo wrecking the division for the next decade, it's nearly impossible not to marvel at the influence of the quarterback on the entire San Francisco 49ers franchise.
The Niners won three straight games with Garoppolo under center after Kyle Shanahan's crew started the year 1-10. Garoppolo's 1,008 passing yards in his first three starts with the 49ersare the most in franchise history (reminder: this is the team of Joe Montana and Steve Young we're talking about).
Jimmy G owns the physical traits that cause scouts to drool. His quick trigger would make Wyatt Earp look like a sloth. His pinpoint accuracy, arm strength and ability to effortlessly make back-foot throws with pressure barreling down his throat are sublime.
Garoppolo has upgraded every aspect of the 49ers. He puts the ball in spots where Marquise Goodwin and Trent Taylor can glide for extra yards after the catch. When the offensive line blows a block, Garoppolo gets the ball off anyway or extend the play with his athleticism. With the Niners consistently moving the ball, the defense isn't repeatedly put in bad spots. In three games, Garoppolo has led 28 drives that weren't end-of-half kneels. One was a three-and-out punt.
Garoppolo's physical brilliance might be matched only by his mental acumen. If you need any more evidence that Jimmy G spent the past four years being tutored by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, watch his wired-up segment detailing Sunday's winning drive against the Titans:
Quarterbacks and coaches often talk about preparing and visualizing plays before they come to fruition on the field. Jimmy G literally walked each of his pass-catchers through what would happen. Then it unfolded exactly as he said. I might faint.
If you're sick of plebian writers gushing over Garoppolo, or find our analysis wanting, here is a collection of quotes from Jimmy G's teammates, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Bay Area:
Left tackle Joe Staley: "He is very calm, collected and focused. Not to say that wasn't here before, but it definitely has a different aura around him. We are really excited about him. It is fun to block for him."
WR Marquise Goodwin: "We practice those situations every week. We were already prepared for it. We knew what we were going to do. There was no panic. He took control of the huddle, and he knew exactly what we needed to do to set ourselves up to at least get in field goal position or get a touchdown. That's exactly what happened."
WR Trent Taylor: "That's the great thing about Jimmy. He's always confident and calm and, at the same time, locked-in and intense. He's kind of the perfect balance of that. So it's great to have a leader like him. He's just a natural, natural leader, and he's going to be a great leader for us for the years to come, for sure."
FB Kyle Juszczyk: "It really has been incredible. He stopped in Day 1 and in his own way commanded respect. We all saw the way he was preparing himself and the way he went about his business. He's been a phenomenal leader. He's definitely already the leader of our offense and keeps everyone dialed in on the sideline and in the huddle."
TE George Kittle: "Hearing from other guys in the locker room, they said they have been around quarterbacks, they don't take that leadership role. He's one of the most fired-up guys. He's like Joe Staley. It's really awesome to see that. It's easy to follow him and you want to play well for him. That's what football is all about."
We'll let the coach have the final word:
"Truly, the quarterback is usually the CEO of the building," Shanahan said. "And you have to act a certain way. And you got to be positive. People look to you a lot and I think he's done a very good job with that and we've been very impressed in that manner."
The 49ers found their CEO of the future. Only paying a second-round pick for his rights might go down as the greatest gift in NFL history.
