During an appearance on Murph & Mac on KNBR yesterday, Matt Maiocco made a bold claim about 49ers quarterback (for now) Jimmy Garoppolo.
“I don’t care what social media says. I just think that a lot of those people are just doing it to do it. If you just take games, and we’re talking home games and road games, and practices, I don’t know that I’ve seen a more popular 49er than Jimmy G. People freakin’ love him.
The whole twitter thing is one thing, but the people who pay the price, the people who show up at games, I’ve never heard anything but just Beatles-type of hysteria any time that guy steps out on the field.”
That quote got me wondering, is Jimmy G. still the most popular 49ers player? Of course, we know he’s incredibly popular inside the locker room, but I’m wondering how he resonates with fans. Quarterbacks are usually the most popular and visible players on the team, so you’d expect them to have strong support.
The fact that he also has that legendary jawline probably doesn’t hurt either. It would be quite an accomplishment if Jimmy were number one, especially considering the competition on the roster.
George Kittle is one of the faces of the entire NFL. He literally created his own holiday, for goodness’ sake. Nick Bosa (who Maiocco later mentioned as a contender for the title) is popular because of his sheer dominance. Deebo Samuel has gained a huge amount of fans after his historic Swiss army knife season. Not to mention a certain 22-year-old quarterback who was drafted third overall in 2021.
Who would you say is the most popular 49ers player right now? Will Lance end up at the top of the list if he has a good season? Leave us a comment below with your choice, and tell us why.
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