49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has an ‘outside chance’ of returning for the NFC Championship game

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed there is a slim chance quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will be back for the NFC Championship game. 

Garoppolo has been out since Week 13 after he broke his foot against the Miami Dolphins and need to undergo surgery, initially being ruled out for the season.

While, ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ Brock Purdy has stepped in admirably at quarterback, it would be a great relief for the Niners to have backup throughout their playoff run. 

There is an ‘outside chance’ Jimmy Garoppolo will be back for the NFC Championship game

The quarterback broke his foot against the Miami Dolphins and has been out since Week 13

And Shanahan has claimed there is an ‘outside chance’ that Garoppolo could be back to provide that security for the NFC Championship game – provided San Francisco beats the Dallas Cowboys Saturday. 

‘I’d be surprised, but I think it depends how this whole weekend goes, but I think it’s an outside chance,’ Shanahan said, via Adam Schefter. 

He added that ‘there’d be a better chance’ for the 31-year-old to be ready for the Super Bowl, if San Francisco makes it all the way to the big game. 

If he is able to return, Garoppolo will likely serve as back up for rookie Brock Purdy (pictured)

Less than a month after undergoing surgery to repair a Lisfranc foot injury,  Garoppolo had his cast removed in late December. 

He was initially ruled out for the season but Shanahan revealed that this week was the first time Garoppolo has been able to return to the practice field.  

‘Yeah, it was the first week he was able to come out in the field, walk around a little bit, do some work out there, so we saw him doing his rehab stuff too as we came out,’ Shanahan said. 

After surgery to repair a Lisfranc foot injury, Garoppolo had his cast removed in late December

Even if Garoppolo is able to return for next weekend’s clash, it is expected the Niners will stick with rookie Purdy after he led the team through an undefeated run. 

In fact, it has even been reported that the 49ers could stick with Purdy as starting quarterback beyond the postseason. 

Purdy has reportedly already won the battle to be starting quarterback next season, beating out Garoppolo and Trey Lance to the position.