There is plenty of hype surrounding the San Francisco 49ers going into the 2018 NFL season thanks to the emergence of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. It appears Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is also a firm believer in the Niners' new leading man.
Cousins has admittedly not seen much of Garroppolo thus far. However, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, he feels the latter's success should be taken into account:
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins says he hasn’t really watched 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo on tape, but “the record and the production speak for itself.” Intriguing matchup Sunday in Minneapolis.
There may be some truth to Cousins' comments. Garoppolo has won all seven games he has started and has looked solid while doing it. His small sample size with the New England Patriots was enough for San Francisco to make quite the investment in bringing him over. After sitting out the first few games, he managed to lead the lowly 49ers to a 5-0 finish to the 2017 campaign. He threw for 1,560 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 67.4 percent of his passes during that span.
It is clear Cousins has respect for what Garoppolo has done. This should come as no surprise considering how similar their careers started. Cousins was initially brought in as a backup to a team that felt they already had a franchise quarterback in Robert Griffin III. His opportunity finally arrived and he never looked back. He is now one of the highest-paid players in the NFL on a Super Bowl contender.
Despite the stellar start to Garoppolo's career, there are still doubts about his status as a franchise quarterback, so he has a lot to prove this season. It begins with a difficult matchup against a formidable Vikings defense in Week 1.
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