The San Francisco 49ers threw Jimmy Garoppolo back into the game after losing Trey Lance to an ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.
Garoppolo was the backup coming into the game and him playing meant fullback Kyle Juszczyk was the emergency backup should Garoppolo go down with an injury. Juszczyk revealed after the game he joked to Garoppolo that he did not want to play quarterback.
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“I was definitely aware that I was the backup quarterback for the second half,” Juszczyk told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I told Jimmy in the locker room, I said ‘Hey man, don’t make me play quarterback today.’ And he promised he was going to do everything he could to not let that happen.”
Garoppolo was 13-for-21 with 154 passing yards and a touchdown pass in the win. He will likely be the starter for the foreseeable future as Lance was ruled out for the rest of the season.
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“Just like riding a bike,” he said of the win. “It felt good to be back out there. Feel terrible for Trey. I’ve been on that side of it. This league is tough. That sucks for him.”
Juszczyk praised Garoppolo talking to reporters after the game.
“I thought Jimmy looked great, and it felt like Niners football,” the fullback said. “We’ve been doing this thing for five years. Jimmy’s been around for a long time. I mean, props to him for just being such a professional and being ready to go.”
Lance was named the starting quarterback early in the offseason but the 49ers failed to find a trade partner for Garoppolo. The NFC champion quarterback agreed to a restructured deal which would make him a free agent next offseason. Now, he gets to increase his own value.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
