Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: 10 best quarterbacks in franchise history

By Bobby Horne

Feb 3, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; General view of the Pro Football Hall of Fame bust of Joe Montana at the NFL Experience at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; General view of the Pro Football Hall of Fame bust of Joe Montana at the NFL Experience at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /

49ers All-Time Quarterback No. 9: Jimmy Garoppolo

2017-2021

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is going to leave a complex and perhaps controversial legacy with the 49ers.

Once the high-profile backup to the inevitable first-ballot Hall of Famer Tom Brady with the New England Patriots, Jimmy G’s run with the Niners after being acquired at the 2017 NFL trade deadline led to a five-game win streak to close out the season.

Two years later, Garoppolo led San Francisco to within minutes of a championship victory in Super Bowl LIV, capping off a year in which he tossed for 3,978 yards, putting him fourth on the franchise’s all-time list for single-season pass yards.

But injuries, such as a torn ACL in 2018 and high-ankle sprains in 2020, thwarted Garoppolo’s chances to be “the guy” for more than just a few years, prompting the 49ers to aggressively pursue quarterback Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Niners won a lot with Garoppolo under center, though, putting him on this list.