Garoppolo threw, but did not lie: it hurts to do so

SANTA CLARA, California – The quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers , Jimmy Garoppolo , launched on Tuesday for the first time since he suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb on 23 December.

That session went well enough for Garoppolo that he continued to participate in Wednesday’s practice on a limited basis.

But Garoppolo wasn’t exactly feeling better after the day. When asked how he feels about pitching despite a thumb injury, Garoppolo didn’t mince words.

“Fuck… it hurts,” Garoppolo agreed with a laugh. “I don’t know how else to describe it. It feels like your hand is tearing a little bit.”

Even with Garoppolo back in practice, coach Kyle Shanahan noted that rookie quarterback Trey Lance was expected to do the majority of reps in what was lighter practice.

The Niners face another week of uncertainty with quarterbacks as they prepare for a possible decisive game Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams .

“I haven’t made [a decision on the quarterback] right now, it’s the truth. And I probably will before the game starts, and I won’t tell you when I do.”

The 49ers went through a similar process last week before playing the Houston Texans , although it was clear the entire time that Lance was going to start because Garoppolo did not participate or pitch before that game.

Things seem to be a bit murkier now that Garoppolo has resumed shooting and will presumably continue to practice in some way this week.

Garoppolo called Tuesday a “pretty good pitching session,” noting that he was trying to regain his passing movement while working with a tape in his hand.

After Garoppolo suffered the injury in the second quarter of San Francisco’s loss to the Tennessee Titans , he noted that he had to alter his throwing motion to ensure a better grip on the ball and control pain in his thumb. But he hopes to return to a more normal movement, given the time he has had to recover.

However, Garoppolo understands that he will not be in full force this week no matter what happens in the days ahead.

“It’s definitely not 100%,” Garoppolo warned. “It’s one of those things where it’s literally a day-to-day thing. Yesterday I felt good, I woke up this morning after pitching and it wasn’t too bad. So every day will be different. It’s just about rehabbing him, getting down. the swelling, slowing down, all those little things. ”

Although Lance performed well in the win against the Texans (he completed 16 of 23 for 249 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for a 116.0 passer rating), Garoppolo has been successful against the Rams during his time with the Niners.

Since arriving in 2017, Garoppolo has not lost five meetings against the Rams, and had his best QBR, 96.1, of the season against them, in a 31-10 win on November 15. The Niners and Garoppolo still won’t push too hard this week.

“We have to be careful,” Shanahan said. “Waiting definitely helped him get to this point, but I think every day is a new experience with that, so it will be mostly at Jimmy’s pace and we’ll talk to him and make sure he doesn’t push him too hard.”

A win on Sunday would secure a playoff spot and No. 6 spot in the NFC for the Niners. A loss would leave them hoping the New Orleans Saints lose to the Atlanta Falcons to sneak into the postseason.

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