Jimmy Garoppolo last play with 49ers is a fitting interception

Jimmy Garoppolo might have helped get the 49ers to the NFC Championship game, but his final play against the Rams is indicative of why he’s gone in 2022.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has probably a five-percent chance of sticking with his team in 2022.

And unfortunately, his likely last play with the Niners is going to be a flop of an effort.

Garoppolo’s last-ditch attempt to keep San Francisco alive after coughing up the lead to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2022 NFC Championship games was about as ugly an interception as he’s thrown, albeit an effort in a desperate situation:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1487978011089506304

Ultimately, the Niners fell 20-17 and will be going home.

Garoppolo wasn’t sharp down the stretch despite tossing two touchdowns and helping the 49ers get out to a 17-7 lead with less than a quarter remaining in regulation and with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

Speaking postgame on NBC Sports Bay Area, former safety and now-analyst Donte Whitner pointed out the painfully obvious.

“Tonight, those last two drives were indicative of his career with the 49ers,” he said. “Those critical errors.”

Too many errors from Jimmy G when it counted the most. Not just the interception, but there were plenty of other issues, too. Especially late when the game was on the line.

Jimmy Garoppolo finish vs. Rams epitomizes why 49ers are moving to Trey Lance

Garoppolo’s injury history might bear part of the blame and hold a reason why the Niners aggressively traded up last spring to grab quarterback Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft.

But it’s also Garoppolo’s inability to regularly be a quality playmaker under the most pressure-packed moments that signaled to head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. it was time to move on.

If this is it for Jimmy G and San Francisco, he’ll leave after having tossed 38 regular-season interceptions with the 49ers and a career 2.9 interception percentage after posting a 2.7 mark in that department over the course of 2021.

During the postseason, including the 49ers’ run in January and February in 2020, Garoppolo threw six touchdowns.

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Against only three touchdown passes.

For those who criticize Garoppolo for not being good enough to get the Niners over the hump, thereby putting pressure on other units like the defense and run game, this will be evidence enough for why there are so big of hopes for Lance to give San Francisco even more.

Unfortunately, Garoppolo’s likely last moment for the 49ers will be yet another one of those interceptions.

It’ll be a painful, perhaps fitting memory.