San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo continues to travel the comeback trail from a torn ACL suffered in September 2018.
His progress to this point has been promising, and he's had the benefit of absorbing knowledge from other players around the league on dealing with the recovery process from ACL surgery.
One of the players proved to be someone Garoppolo knows well: Tom Brady.
Garoppolo had the opportunity to get advice from Brady last weekend at the Kentucky Derby, but as to what was shared between the two former New England Patriots teammates? Well, Garoppolo isn't saying.
"I've got to keep that confidential," Garoppolo said, via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. "but I did actually talk to him about it for a little bit. He's been through everything, seen everything, so whenever I can pick his brain, it's a good thing."
The Jason Bourne-like Level 5 security clearance required to tap into that conversation aside, Garoppolo has been throwing, and even running, during the Niners' offseason workout program ahead of organized team activities, which begin on May 20.
And the signal-caller sees the advantages of the work he's focused on now before potentially participating in any team-related drills during OTAs.
"It's a combination of reactionary stuff. That's a big part of it," Garoppolo said. "When you're doing rehab, everything is, 'Do this movement, do this.' Well, in the game, you're more reacting than thinking. Getting used to those type of movements. We've been doing some of them and patterning them. It's coming along well."
In the meantime, the biggest test for Garoppolo surrounds being fully cleared to participate in training camp, and then the start of the regular season.
But so far, so good, as Garoppolo previously mentioned that he plans to be ready when the Niners open the 2019 campaign on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
