49ers coach Kyle Shanahan did not give a firm endorsement about quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo being the team’s starter for their Week 8 matchup vs. the Bears.
Following San Francisco’s 30–18 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday Night Football—a defeat that marked the fourth consecutive loss for the Niners—Shanahan was asked whether his veteran quarterback would start next week.
“I would guess so,” Shanahan said. “I’m going to watch this tape and see if guys are healthy, first of all. I don’t even know where our guys are at. It was good for Jimmy to be able to get healthy enough to play in this game today.”
Amid a rainstorm, Garoppolo completed 16 of his 27 pass attempts for 181 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He has now thrown at least one interception in the last three games in which he has played.
He did not play in San Francisco’s 17–10 Week 5 loss to the Cardinals due to a calf injury.
Trey Lance, the team’s No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL draft and the starter during Week 5 with Garoppolo out, was inactive against the Colts due to a knee injury.
“I got a whole team to worry about,” Shanahan said. “Not just thinking about what the quarterback situation is right now. I’m going to evaluate everything, see where our team’s at, see what gives us the best chance to beat Chicago, and see what our options are. That’s what you go into each week, finding out your options. We had two quarterbacks who were hurting this week. Jimmy was able to come back and play. We’ll see if Trey can [play] next week, we’re still not sure yet, but I got a lot of things to figure out.”
With the loss, the Niners moved into a tie with the Seahawks for last place in the NFC West. They travel to Chicago in Week 8 before hosting the Cardinals and Rams in consecutive divisional games.
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