Fans of the San Francisco 49ers are expecting that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will be eligible to play against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday at Lambeau Field. In addition to the myriad issues already plaguing the Niners’ quarterback, Garoppolo suffered a shoulder injury against the Dallas Cowboys.
The quarterback sprained his right shoulder in the second quarter of the 49ers’ wild-card triumph over the Cowboys on Sunday, despite having a ruptured ligament and bone chip in his right thumb.
#49ers Jimmy Garoppolo throwing with zip, no sign of pain despite sprained shoulder, thumb. I have no doubt he’s starting at #Packers on Saturday night in #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/66q8SO34JC
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) January 20, 2022
Green Bay Packers await
When asked on Tuesday if he was confident in his ability to play on Saturday, Garoppolo was a little evasive.
“Yeah, we’ll feel it out throughout the week, but yeah, just feeling good right now,” Garoppolo told reporters.
The 30-year-old did admit that the shoulder injury he sustained in the second quarter had an impact on his performance throughout the second half.
“So, yeah, it definitely had some impact. But if I’m out there, and I’m being put in that spot, I got to, you know, still make the plays I normally make. So no excuses or anything like that. The injury is what it is. We’re all dealing with stuff right now,” Garoppolo explained.
On the other hand, he appears to be in terrific shape for Saturday’s game against the Green Bay Packers as a video of him attending a practice emerged. The 49ers quarterback looked well, with some zip on the ball, according to sources.
Garoppolo was 16 of 25 for 172 yards with no touchdowns and an awful second-half turnover in San Francisco’s 23-17 win over the Cowboys. If Garoppolo performs as predicted, the Niners’ concern will be how his shoulder — and thumb — fare in the freezing temps at Lambeau Field.
Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo (shoulder/thumb) expected to play vs. Packers, but won't be 100 percent, per @RapSheethttps://t.co/mqGqO6Yj3C pic.twitter.com/Ndm4RSMllN
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 20, 2022
49ers wildcard win over Cowboys
After the NFL’s most penalized team in the regular season committed its 14th penalty, allowing San Francisco to run out most of the clock – and the frantic final seconds as Dallas tried to win – the 49ers (11-7) won their first playoff game against the Cowboys in a historic rivalry after season.
After Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s interception, resourceful receiver Deebo Samuel raced 26 yards for a score, and the San Francisco 49ers hung on for a 23-17 wildcard victory over the Cowboys on Sunday’s match.
The Cowboys had one final shot with 32 seconds remaining and were at the San Francisco 41 with 14 seconds left as Prescott gathered up speed in the center with the intention of sliding and spiking the ball to a win.
However, Dallas was not snapped from the 24th before the clock struck 0:00. After a brief pause, referee Alex Kemp declared the game ended.
The 49ers survived Garoppolo’s interception to take a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter. Prescott ran for a touchdown to get within a field goal, and he had a chance to lead Dallas to a field goal.
But the 49ers made a stop in the middle of the field when Prescott’s desperate fourth-down ball was just beyond receiver Cedrick Wilson’s reach.
The game between Green Bay and San Francisco will begin at 8:15 p.m. E.T. on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on FOX.