Photo credit: @NESN
By Jeremy Harness
The 0-8 49ers got a major shot in the arm Monday night, as they acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots in exchange for a second-round pick next season, a move that is expected to go a long way to resolve a long-standing issue at the quarterback position.
But don’t expect him to see him on the field for at least the next few weeks.
Not the he is injured, but the second-year signal-caller will need time to learn the 49ers’ playbook, which is completely different from that of the Patriots.
In the meantime, to make room for Garoppolo on the roster, the 49ers on Tuesday released Brian Hoyer, who began the season as the team’s starting quarterback but was benched in the second quarter in favor of rookie C.J Beathard two games ago and has not seen the field since.
In addition to having to learn the playbook, the 49ers will also need time to get their situation at left tackle – the quarterback’s blind side – taken care of. Joe Staley was injured in Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and he is not expected to be back in the lineup for another three weeks.
Right tackle Trent Brown, who has been going through concussion protocol since being knocked out of Week 7’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys, returned to practice Wednesday and is expected to assume the left tackle position until Staley returns to the field.
Meanwhile, the team has other injury issues, as safety Jimmie Ward was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to the broken forearm that he suffered against the Eagles, which will prompt Eric Reid, who had played the past two weeks at linebacker, to go back to safety for this Sunday.
The 49ers made another move at defensive back on Tuesday, as the team dealt cornerback Rashard Robinson, who has had more than his fair share of on-field troubles this season, to the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick.
This Sunday, the 49ers will face the Arizona Cardinals, another team that has had to deal with unfavorable quarterback issues this year. Their regular starter, Carson Palmer, suffered a broken arm two weeks ago and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
After the Arizona game, the 49ers will play the disappointing New York Giants, and they will have their bye week following that. At that point, the 49ers can expect to put Garoppolo on the field for the first time, given that he is comfortable with the new playbook at that point, and that no major injuries occur at the quarterback position between now and then.
