The San Francisco 49ers have cycled through various stages of incompetence this season, so it’s little wonder their fans are excited about the arrival of the talented quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. On Sunday, though, they may have taken things a little too far.
The Niners have been reluctant to rush Garoppolo into the starter’s role but he came on late during the team’s defeat to the Seattle Seahawks after an injury to CJ Beathard. Some fans cheered as it became obvious Beathard would be replaced by Garoppolo, something that angered several 49ers.
“Our starting quarterback got hurt, and people are cheering before he even stands up, and that pisses me off, so I’m disappointed in our fans,” safety Eric Reid said after the game. “I understand the excitement about Jimmy, he’s a great player, but that’s not right.”
Jennifer Lee Chan
(@jenniferleechan)Eric Reid’s comments regarding fans cheering while CJ Beathard was injured and still laying on the ground. #49ers pic.twitter.com/zHfmIQawhs
Garoppolo made an immediate impact, completing both his passes, one of them for a touchdown. But Reid said it was disrespectful in a sport in which players put their bodies on the line. “It’s disappointing that when a man is hurt – people don’t understand what we go through as football players. And what our bodies go through. And he’s laying down on the ground and people are cheering. That’s messed up,” Reid added.
San Francisco’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, Reuben Foster, also expressed his disappointment. “You would think someone would see that and say, ‘I love the quarterback.’ Jimmy, great guy, I’m happy he was out on the field. I was rooting for him too, but at the same time, I have to wait and make sure my brother on the ground is [safe] before I cheer for Jimmy. I’m going to cheer for my brother when he gets off the ground because he’s all right. And then I’m going to cheer for Jimmy.”
Beathard’s injury does not appear to have been serious, although he will undergo an MRI on Monday. 49ers coach said that Garoppolo’s play on Sunday does not mean he has won the starting job. “Those plays have nothing to do with anything,” Shanahan said. “That’s just running around, and he made a great play, but no, those have no bearing on it at all.”
Shanahan’s caution is perhaps understandable: Garoppolo has thrown just 96 passes in his entire NFL career.