Fingers were pointed in the aftermath of the Chiefs’ comeback win in Super Bowl LIV and many of them settled on 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Garoppolo went 3-of-11 for 36 yards and an interception as a 10-point lead evaporated in the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. That fed into speculation that the 49ers might consider signing Tom Brady, which the team discussed before deciding to stand pat with Garoppolo.
Cornerback Richard Sherman thinks it was “foolish” for anyone to blame Garoppolo for things going haywire in the first place. He noted Garoppolo “doesn’t play defense” and that the unit’s inability to get a stop was a bigger factor.
“Jimmy played fine,” Sherman said on KNBR, via the Sacramento Bee. “He did what he was supposed to do. We got to finish that game out. I got to finish that game out. I got to do what I’m supposed to do. I’m an All-Pro player, I got to play All-Pro down the stretch. . . . I think, along with other leaders on the team, we would defend him vigorously because that had nothing to do with him.”
Getting to the Super Bowl required strong efforts from both Garoppolo and the defense over the course of the season. Getting another chance to finish the job is far from a sure thing, but the Niners have made it clear they believe they have the right guy to get it done.