(Reuters) – San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has faced no shortage of doubters this season but with the 49ers just two wins away from a Super Bowl championship, he said the support of his teammates is all he needs.
Some fans had called for Garoppolo to be benched when the 49ers began the season 3-5, with many believing it was time for the team to move on to rookie quarterback Trey Lance.
But Garoppolo bounced back, culminating in a come-from-behind overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams to make the playoffs.
Despite not having thrown a touchdown, he led the team to two gutsy road playoff victories to put them into Sunday’s NFC title game.
“As long as the guys in this locker room have faith in me and believe in me, that’s all I really care about,” Garoppolo said on Wednesday, according to the Athletic.
“We love ya Jim!!” 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk said in response to the quote on Twitter.
The team announced good news about their signal caller’s health on Wednesday.
Garoppolo had been suffering from a shoulder and a thumb injury heading into last weekend’s Divisional Round but has made strides on both and was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, head coach Kyle Shanahan said.
“I’m sure it’s pretty good,” Shanahan said when asked about the injuries.
“I hear about the thumb more than the shoulder, so that’s off the injury report now, so I guess we’re good.”
Garoppolo is looking for redemption after the Kansas City Chiefs staged an epic fourth quarter Super Bowl comeback to defeat the 49ers at the end of the 2019 season.
The 49ers play the Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
