The San Francisco 49ers were dealt a significant blow to their offense with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffering a torn ACL during Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
It was a play where Garoppolo had chosen to stay inbounds rather than deciding to run out of bounds that led to his left leg moving in an awkward position. Following the game, Chiefs defensive end Justin Houston voiced that he believes it was the 49ers quarterback's fault for putting himself in the position to suffer the injury, according to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.
“That was his fault,” Houston said. “I pray he’s not hurt, nothing serious, but as a quarterback you should step out of bounds. It was only an inch. That inch wouldn’t have made a difference. You got the yardage you need, you step out of bounds. You got to be smart.”
Garoppolo had the opportunity to step out of bounds rather than continue to run up the field. He had already gained the first down and didn't necessarily need to gain more yardage on the play as the 49ers were driving toward putting points on the board. This injury now puts the 49ers in a tough position of having to depend on backup C.J. Beathard as the starter moving forward.
The second-year quarterback struggled in his brief time on the field last year. In six games played, Beathard recorded 1,430 passing yards with a 54.2 completion percentage along with four touchdowns and six interceptions. He struggled to push the 49ers to consistent success as the team dropped five out of those contests.
Although this is a disappointing situation for the 49ers, this is a chance for Garoppolo to adapt his play and make better decisions on the field with his health at the forefront of that process.
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