3 things Jimmy Garoppolo needs to do to retain 49ers starting QB job

No. 1: Jimmy Garoppolo must take full command of 49ers offense

Admittedly, there were a handful of games in 2019 where Jimmy Garoppolo was tasked with shouldering the Niners offense. That game against the Arizona Cardinals on Halloween comes to mind. So does that late-season thriller against the New Orleans Saints.

Garoppolo has never been much of a deep-ball passer. Even going back to that memorable season where he tossed for nearly 4,000 yards, Jimmy G had an intended-air-yards average of just 6.5, per Next Gen Stats, which ranked third worst among qualifiers that year.

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In 2020, the number dropped to 6.2.

There were points last season where a sizable chunk of Garoppolo’s “passes” were literally forward tosses to running backs and wide receivers behind the line of scrimmage, literally an intended air yard of 1. Maybe 0.5.

Taking command of the offense is going to involve taking some calculated risks, not being afraid to hit open targets 10, 15 or even 20 yards down the field.

Doing so while avoiding those turnovers might be risky. But that’s essentially the only way Garoppolo can showcase his value: being aggressive while not being afraid of the negative consequences that may stem from his lack of arm strength.

This can showcase his abilities as a playmaker, which will ultimately benefit him wherever he winds up playing after his time is up in San Francisco.