49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo rejects injury prone label

In 2016, in his second career NFL start, Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a torn ligament in his throwing shoulder.

In September, in his 10th career start, Garoppolo sustained a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee.

Given that history, the 49ers quarterback was asked Friday about the injury-prone label potentially being applied to him.

“If someone says I’m injury prone, then they don’t really know what they’re talking about,” Garoppolo said. “I’ve played sports my whole life and I’ve only had two injuries. It’s weird. I’m not used to it. That’s for sure. It’s something I don’t want to get used to. I want to be out there with the guys battling.”

Garoppolo offered that Friday in the 49ers’ locker room in his first public comments since he was injured in a 38-27 loss to the Chiefs on Sept. 23. Garoppolo recently returned to the team after having surgery in Los Angeles. He expects to be on crutches for at least two more weeks before he can advance to the pool therapy portion of his rehab.

So far, the hardest part of his recovery has been mental.

“The overall acceptance of it, initially,” Garoppolo said when asked about his biggest challenge. “It was tough. I’ve never had a serious injury like this. So it’s different.”

However, Garoppolo has had the two notable injuries in 10 NFL starts. In time, Garoppolo could prove his ACL tear and the shoulder injury he sustained when he was with the Patriots are aberrations.

At the moment, however, Garoppolo’s durability is a question mark in a league where many of the top quarterbacks have shown an ability to stay on the field. Seven active quarterbacks have had a streak in which they started at least 100 consecutive games, and four are active (the Chargers’ Philip Rivers, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, Detroit’s Matthew Stafford and Seattle’s Russell Wilson). In addition, New Orleans’ Drew Brees has missed three games in the past 15 seasons.

Tom Brady, whom Garoppolo backed up for more than three seasons in New England, hasn’t missed a game due to injury since he tore his ACL in the 2008 season opener.

Of course, Garoppolo could have avoided his ACL tear, but he planted his left knee near the sideline instead of running out of bounds. Garoppolo acknowledged he’s thought about his decision.

“Initially, you think about that stuff,” Garoppolo said. “You think of every situation possible. Plays before it. All that stuff. Eventually you get to a point where you have to accept it and start moving on.”

Garoppolo was asked if his experience would make him more cautious when it comes to avoiding contact when he returns.

“I’ve always been pretty cautious,” Garoppolo said. “That was kind of the freak accident of the play. I don’t know if it was just instinct or what to cut back like that.”

Garoppolo’s injury effectively sunk the 49ers’ season. They have lost four straight since C.J. Beathard took over and will take a 1-6 record into Sunday’s visit to Arizona.

Still, Garoppolo’s three starts this season were bumpy after he inherited the starting job on a 1-10 team last year and guided it to a 5-0 finish. Entering 2018 with a $137.5 million contract and sky-high expectations, Garoppolo went 1-2 with a 59.6 completion percentage and 90.0 passer rating, throwing five touchdown passes and three interceptions.

What changed in 2018?

“We had a completely different team,” Garoppolo said. “Every year, it’s going to be different. … It’s an up-and-down battle. There’s going to be good games. There’s going to be bad games. It’s disappointing that I didn’t get to see this year all the way through.”

Said head coach Kyle Shanahan of Garoppolo, who entered the season with a 7-0 career record: “That was, I think, his first time having to go through that stuff, so that was good. Would’ve loved to have seen him go through it the rest of the year and watched the ups and downs because you get better from those in every aspect. I think he did learn a lot in those three games. I think that helps him going into the offseason.”