QB Jimmy Garoppolo Press Conference

QB Jimmy Garoppolo

Press Conference – August 10, 2021

San Francisco 49ers

I’m assuming this will be the last time we speak to you before you face another team, maybe?

“Yeah, probably.”

So what will that mean to you to just see different people lining up across from you?

“I’m a big fan of it. I think training camp is awesome. It’s fun. It’s competitive. It’s been very competitive out here, but you get tired of going to the same guys, same defense, day-in and day-out. I think especially just the guys who are doing the hitting and stuff like that, I think they’re looking forward to it. Yeah, it’ll definitely be a nice change up.”

I saw you talking to OL Laken Tomlinson. He got into it a little bit today. What do you say to those guys? Just, stop that sort of scuffle stuff going on?

“You’ve got to stop it because it’s practice, but you love to see that out of the guys. You really do. Laken and all those guys up front, they set the tone for us and they’ve done a great job of that this camp. Coming off the ball with urgency, hitting and it’s been impressive. We’ve had some really good pockets. I mean, they’re going against a great D-Line every day. So, if we’re getting all these guys, I think we handle anyone.”

Laken seems like such a soft spoken guy. To see him be the one, are you surprised? Not surprised?

“Couple of years ago. I was surprised when I first saw it, but I’ve come to, it’s the norm with Laken. Like you said, he is soft-spoken. Kind of a gentle giant away from the field, but when you get them out here and especially pre-game, I mean, the guy is different. I’m glad he’s on my side.”

Can I ask you about centers and lower back sweat? Where does C Alex Mack rank?

“I don’t know if it’s just a, I don’t know. I get a lot of sweaty centers. It’s unfortunate at times, but we make it work. Yeah, I mean, Alex he’s no sweatier or not. I don’t know. That’s a hard one to answer. (laughing)”

When that is happening, how difficult does that make your job? How slippery does the ball become?

“It definitely makes it difficult if you’re not ready for it, I would say. I think I’ve kind of learned throughout my career how to deal with it. The best way I can describe it is you’re playing in a dry game and all of a sudden it’s a rain game when you get the snap. (laughing) And so if you’re not prepared for that, I guess it could throw you off at times.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the other day that Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan used to make Alex change pants like every period during drills. Is that something you’re considering?

“I’ve heard that. That’s tough on guys. I think Alex has done that. He’s done that a couple of days for us, but we have other ways to fight that. I can’t believe we’re talking about.”

Kyle indicated, well he said, you might have the fastest release, quickest release on the planet. Congratulations. He said you’ve been more conscientious about your foot work this off season anyway, does that resonate with you? And do you see moments in the past where you’re like, ‘I got a little too sloppy there’?

“Yeah. I think the footwork is, it’s a great spot to start with the offense because it kind of teaches you the offense. You read with your feet type of thing. And you get a feel for the plays and how they develop with your footwork, I guess you could say. But yeah, there’s times when you’re out there where maybe a pass rusher comes free or you see something happen, things happen on the field, where you have to adjust on the fly, I would say. And I think that’s where the release helps me, but I think at the end of the day, you want to be perfect with your foot work. That’s what I try to do. Tried to focus on it this off season. And I think having a better understanding of the offense slows it down for me out there.”

When you were coming off the ACL in 2019, how long did it take for you to get confident? When you see DL Nick Bosa coming out here, how do you look like he’s progressing?

“I haven’t had a great look at him. We’re kind of on separate – I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. I’d say the confidence comes back, getting out there, having live bullets flying. I don’t know, it’s just a feel thing. There’s not really a moment where I was like, oh, I feel great, I’m back to normal. But you make a move here and you’re like, ‘Oh, okay. I can do that.’ And your body starts remembering how to play the game again.”

On the interception to CB Emmanuel Moseley, was that a throw that you tried to force in there?

“Yeah, I mean, I think that was our fourth-down play. And so it was kind of the last play, last chance. There was a tight window in there, but yeah, it just didn’t fit it in. It’s one of those live and learn and practice and don’t do it in the game.”

TE George Kittle, one of his goals during the off season was to get better at his route running. Have you seen that from him?

“Yeah. Yeah, I have. George, when he sets his mind to something and decides he’s going to get better at something, he does it. And it’s impressive, just the details that he puts into the routes and obviously there’s room for improvement always, but he’s definitely made big strides in that category.”

How does that impact for you and your communication with him or your work with him on the field?

“I think just the feel between, me and him, and he has a good feel for space. Might not be the exact way the route is drawn up, but he has a feel for where he needs to be and where he needs to get. It makes my job a lot easier when you have guys like that, who can feel the same thing that you’re seeing and it’s a unique ability.”

I assume a lot of guys in your position generally don’t, may not care how many snaps they get in the preseason. Maybe the less, the better. The situation you’re in, not that it’s competition, but do you want to play more and just show where you’re at? Or does it not matter?

“Whatever the coaches decide, they decide. I’m pretty happy with where I’m at. I think we’re trending in the right direction. There’s obviously room for improvement with things out here, just little mistakes that we need to clean up, but I’m pretty happy with where the offense is and where we’re going.”