San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) throws against the Seattle Seahawks defense back on Nov 1, 2020 at Lumen Field in Seattle. This would be Garoppolo’s last game of the season after suffering a high ankle injury (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The San Francisco 49ers season is rounding the corner and headed for home.

Last week, the 49ers upset the Arizona Cardinals on the road. The 49ers managed to put up 20 points compared to the Cardinals 12 to put a dent in the playoff hopeful team.

This week, the 49ers will take on the playoff bound Seattle Seahawks. A tougher task than last week but one the 49ers are eager to face. The 49ers will look to finish the season on a high note and end the season at a 7-9 record.

On the other hand, the Seahawks are playoff bound and looking to stay healthy going into the playoffs. They are looking to finish the season going 12-4 with hopes deep into the playoffs.

The 49ers have a largely healthy squad with the exception of a few. Notably, Jimmy Garoppolo will remain out for the last game of the season. Garoppolo has been out for most of the season with ankle issues. Also, rookie WR Brandon Aiyuk will be out on Sunday.

Garoppolo’s injuries have become a concern for San Francisco and head coach Kyle Shanahan  who addressed those issues about what to do if Garoppolo doesn’t make himself available on the field during injuries in the 2021 season saying “you can’t say anything with certainty”

Garoppolo has suffered an ACL tear in 2018, had a high ankle sprain in 2020 and hasn’t played a game since Nov 1st. The injuries ended his season in 2018 and 2020 and put back up quarterbacks Nick Mullens and CJ Beathard into action.

Although Beathard had a decent game last week against the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale don’t look for Beathard to win the starting job anytime soon as he would have to throw around 270 yards and three touchdowns in a winning game against the Seahawks this Sunday to get Shanahan and the coaches attention and keep that up going into next season.

Shanahan did note that with all the injuries Garoppolo has had the 49ers will have to start looking for a capable starter who can step in and the cost could run the team in the salary cap space of $26.9 million. “Do you want to get a starter as a back up quarterback? Shanahan said you would have to spend most of your salary cap for first and second string quarterbacks.

The Seahawks will have most of their team healthy for Sunday’s matchup as they head into State Farm Stadium to face the 49ers.

The game is set for 2:25 PM MST on FOX.