The San Francisco 49ers are coming into 2018 with huge expectations. They went 5-0 for the 2017 season and all fingers can point at Jimmy Garoppolo for that success. Not just for his QB play with limited knowledge of the playbook but also for his ability to elevate the team and make it play beyond the abilities that it had when Brian Hoyer and even C.J. Beathard started.
So could Garoppolo make a Pro Bowl? A recent article on by Gil Brandt on NFL.com listed one player in the NFC from each team that could go to their first Pro Bowl. Garoppolo was listed for the 49ers. Here’s what Brandt said about Garoppolo:
“Garoppolo was a linebacker in high school, and you can see him bring the toughness of an LB to the quarterback position. No wonder he has yet to lose an NFL start. He’s really special.”
I’d hate to be negative, but we also said Colin Kaepernick was special and while he’s no scrub, he certainly regressed as the games went on. My point is, with Garoppolo, we have a big question mark on his play going into 2018. We need to see how he can play once defenses adjust and how he adjusts to them. Five games simply isn’t enough and their first opponent in 2018, the Minnesota Vikings, will provide the ultimate test. From there, things can only get harder. If Garoppolo can keep the momentum up, he definitely could make it in.
Unfortunately, the Pro Bowl is just as hard to get in for a quarterback as it is to be a starter. He’s got quite the competition with Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and others who can play just as well. The Pro Bowl isn’t going to let every great quarterback in and only a few.
Plus, if we’re looking for star 49ers players, we can’t forget about defensive lineman DeForest Buckner or linebacker Reuben Foster, both of whom could easily net their first Pro Bowl before Garoppolo.
Brandt’s article was just talking about one player, not necessarily one with the best chance, but do you think Garoppolo is the one 49er with the best chance to get to his first Pro Bowl?