Kyle Shanahan: 3 biggest challenges for 49ers head coach in 2020

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Jimmy Garoppolo,San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

No. 2: The development of Jimmy Garoppolo

Only the harshest of critics could say quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t have a successful year in his first full season as a starter.

Garoppolo threw for 3,978 yards at a 69.1 percent completion rate, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in the regular season while leading the team to a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance.

But while Garoppolo had a good year, he did not have a perfect year. Garoppolo did have a tendency to have some poorly judged throws, which led to unnecessary interceptions and missed plays.

For the 49ers to become a perennial force in the NFL, Garoppolo has to make the leap from very good quarterback to an elite one. You can win a Super Bowl with a very good quarterback, but very few dynasties exist without an elite signal-caller at the helm.

For Kyle Shanahan, this is the second full season with his quarterback at the helm and progression will be expected.

In an offense geared towards running and quick passing, Garoppolo doesn’t have to light it up every week.

But he will have to clean up some of the poor passes that plagued him in 2019.