5 critical problems 49ers could face in 2020

No. 2: Rather than improve, Jimmy Garoppolo regresses

There’s been a lot of talk about how good Jimmy Garoppolo is or whether he’s even good at all, most of which feels like a ridiculous response to the way the Super Bowl ended.

Suffice it to say, there’s a lot of evidence to suggest Garoppolo is poised for a breakout season in 2020, as he enters his second full season as the 49ers starter and in Kyle Shanahan’s notoriously complicated offense.

But it would be quite bad for the 49ers if he doesn’t do any of that and instead regresses in 2020. This doesn’t necessarily mean his statistics will be altered drastically, but rather his impact on the games will be more negative than positive.

This could mean an increase in interceptions or at least passes that could be intercepted, fumbling the ball more, or just otherwise failing to direct the 49ers offense efficiently.

And a worse 49ers offense in 2020 could be enough to keep the team out of contention.

This isn’t to say Garoppolo has to be better in 2020 than he was in 2019, just that he can’t be significantly worse.

If he is, so too will the Niners 2020 season.