Can 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo replicate Matt Ryan’s 2016 efforts in 2020?

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a good year with the San Francisco 49ers under head coach Kyle Shanahan in 2019. But one might want to draw a parallel to another Shanahan quarterback, the Atlanta Falcons’ Matt Ryan.

While his finish to Super Bowl LIV might have stained his reputation, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo actually had a pretty good season in 2019.

Garoppolo’s 102.0 passer rating during the regular season ranked eighth among qualifiers, while his 69.1 completion percentage was tied for fourth best. And while his 13 interceptions tossed over the course of the year are something of a cause for concern, many of those were off the hands of his intended targets.

Hard to completely fault Garoppolo for that.

Still, there are plenty of reasons to assume Garoppolo can get even better in 2020. Considering the Niners are no longer up and comers and are widely going to be viewed as legitimate contenders for the upcoming season, Jimmy G will have to be better going forward.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. will do what they can to ensure this happens. But there’s a good comparison to consider when thinking what kind of numbers Garoppolo could be capable of putting up in 2020.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

Ryan was already a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback when Shanahan took over the Falcons’ offensive coordinator spot back in 2015. Ryan was also 30 years old that season, a full two years older than the age Garoppolo will be by the time training camp kicks off later this summer.

Make of those differences what you wish. But it’s worth comparing Ryan’s numbers during his two seasons under Shanahan to what Garoppolo has had since the 49ers made that notable trade with the New England Patriots in 2017:

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/14/2020.

Ryan had so-so numbers in 2015, although his four game-winning drives that season is notable.

Now for Garoppolo’s splits since 2017:

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/14/2020.

It’s important to note 2019 was essentially the first full season Garoppolo had under Shanahan’s tutelage. In 2017, when Jimmy G helped propel the Niners to five straight wins to close out the season, Shanahan was essentially feeding the quarterback a dialed-down version of his complex, intricate offense.

And 2018 was all but derailed by Garoppolo’s season-ending ACL injury in Week 3. Instead of being able to fully digest Shanahan’s offense on the field that year, Jimmy G was forced to spend most of the year and subsequent offseason in recovery.

Looking at the side-by-side numbers, Garoppolo had the better completion percentage along with more touchdowns against fewer interceptions than Ryan’s 2015 efforts. The passer rating was significantly better, too.

After Ryan had a full season immersed in Shanahan’s offense, the veteran quarterback put up exceptional league-leading numbers in 2016 en route to a trip to the Super Bowl and a league MVP accolade.

Now this isn’t to say Garoppolo is going to be on the exact same trajectory. But considering the fact he has a mere 26 starts at the pro level after 2019, it’s safe to say he’ll still have room to grow.

Especially considering Ryan started 126 games before Shanahan’s first year in Atlanta.

Ryan did enjoy some prolific pass-catching services from the likes of Falcons wide receivers, Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, in 2016. The 49ers are still trying to establish their go-to guys at wide receiver, although 2019 rookie Deebo Samuel seems to be a part of the equation. So is tight end George Kittle.

So if those two weapons equate, the numbers are suggestive enough Garoppolo could wind up having a Ryan-like campaign in 2020.

If he seizes on the aspects to make it happen, of course.