49ers: Bleacher Report predicts similar 2020 season from Jimmy Garoppolo

Bleacher Report is predicting another solid season from 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2020.

One fourth-quarter Super Bowl overthrow from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo seemed to set the tone for most nationwide pundits about Jimmy G’s future and whether or not he has what it takes to be a true franchise-caliber signal-caller.

It likely prompted all the talk about former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady coming to San Francisco, and it’ll likely lead to even more speculation the Niners should pursue Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers whenever his days there are done.

What’s often overlooked in the discussion is Garoppolo had himself quite the season in his first full year as a starter, tossing for 3,978 yards — fourth best for the franchise all time — and was tied for the league lead in fourth-quarter comebacks with four.

Perhaps the critics need to look at those stats when considering Garoppolo’s future.

At any rate, there are more than a few predictions for what Garoppolo could do in his second full year under center.

Maurice Moton over at Bleacher Report came up with his own predictions for each team’s starting quarterback in 2020, and he has Jimmy G replicating the kind of numbers from a year ago:

"In 2019, Shanahan’s offense featured the ground attack. The 49ers ranked second in rushing attempts. Still, Garoppolo threw for 3,978 passing yards and 27 touchdowns.Shanahan will probably feature Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert, who broke out late last season and finished with 952 yards and 10 touchdowns from scrimmage.Yet Deebo Samuel‘s second-year growth and rookie first-rounder Brandon Aiyuk should provide some fireworks in the aerial attack. They’re similar playmakers after the catch, and with Shanahan’s use of play action, both wideouts will have opportunities to break free downfield."

As far as the predictions go, Moton is thinking the 49ers quarterback tosses for 4,010 total yards with 25 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, going 319-of-484 in the process. The latter stat would equate to a 65.9 completion percentage, which is a few points lower than the 69.1-percent mark from last season.

A few caveats for Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers

The Niners experienced one notable change this offseason in the passing game: saying goodbye to veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who left for the New Orleans Saints in free agency.

That leaves three established veteran pass catchers at Garoppolo’s disposal: wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne, while tight end George Kittle should still be a massive No. 1 threat. The hope, however, is rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk makes a splash impact in year one after San Francisco used the No. 25 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft to select him.

Aiyuk could easily thrive in the 49ers offense, although it’s always risky to expect big things right away from a rookie receiver.

Meanwhile, one might expect both Kittle and Samuel to get the lion’s share of targets early in 2020.

Regardless, Garoppolo’s efforts under center were enough to propel San Francisco to a 13-3 regular-season record a year ago and all the way to the cusp of a Super Bowl victory.

Maintaining that should be enough to help the Niners achieve close to the same accolades they reached last year.