MIAMI _ One of the most important decisions that got the 49ers to the Super Bowl didn't come without hesitation from coach Kyle Shanahan.
Nearly 27 months since trading for Jimmy Garoppolo, Shanahan this week in Miami looked back on what his franchise quarterback went through during his crash-course half season when he came to San Francisco from the New England Patriots, changing the trajectory of a franchise toward championship contention.
"That, to me, is me is borderline impossible to do to someone no matter how good they are," Shanahan said of Garoppolo's quick integration after being traded, going 5-0 to as the starter to finish 2017 and parlaying it into a life-changing, five-year, $137.5 million contract despite never starting more than five games in a season.
But Shanahan's faith in Garoppolo was seeded years earlier when he was the offensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns. And he needed a starting quarterback.
