Jimmy Garoppolo keeps taking steps – both literally and metaphorically. The 49ers quarterback checked an important box in his recovery from last season’s ACL tear. He worked a two-minute drill with his offensive line in front of him during Day 1 of the team’s mandatory mini-camp. A departure from the seven-on-seven drills he’d been limited to throughout OTAs.
The 49ers were only letting Garoppolo run through seven-on-seven drills to avoid players winding up around his feet. He’s doing drop backs, rollouts and in general able to do all the normal quarterback motions, there’s just not a lot of value in risking a player inadvertently falling into his leg.
Getting linemen back in front of him is still a key step for the 49ers’ signal caller. They’re his first snaps behind an offensive line since his injury in Week 3 last season. It allows Garoppolo to get back into a rhythm, and allows the 49ers’ skill position players to start building or re-building a rapport with him.
The next step will be 11-on-11 drills, which Garoppolo should participate in sometime during training camp. He should be fully ready to prepare for the regular season once he’s cleared for full action and gets his normal preseason work in. This is the biggest offseason story line for the 49ers, and it’s progressing as well as possible.
