SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ The sky isn't falling on Kyle Shanahan the same way it might be for fans who watched Jimmy Garoppolo struggle in his preseason debut for the 49ers on Monday night.
Despite completing just one pass for no gain, throwing an interception to cornerback Isaac Yiadom and Broncos defenders getting hands on his first four throws, Shanahan doesn't think Garoppolo got enough of an opportunity to be concerned about the way his $137.5 million quarterback played.
"You always want to play better," Shanahan said. "But to get concerned over 10 plays, or however many it was, that's pretty irresponsible."
Garoppolo in his first game action since Sept. 23, when he tore his left ACL, completed just 1 of 6 passes and nearly threw a second interception to defensive back De'Vante Bausby on his second possession. Garoppolo played just three series and appeared skittish under pressure, which was a strength when he made his splashy debut in 2017 after being acquired in a trade from the New England Patriots.
But Shanahan has long expected Garoppolo's career won't always be like when he went 5-0 in his initial starts. Garoppolo has made just 10 starts in his five seasons and hasn't experienced the peaks and valleys of a full 16-game schedule.
The bad showing Monday came on the heels of a five-interception practice last Wednesday that garnered national headlines. Shanahan said Garoppolo hasn't been rattled and remained consistent in meetings and on the practice field. Though he acknowledged the difficulties that come with being under the microscope and not performing up to expectations.
"I know any time that you get all that publicity for things you're not happy with," Shanahan said, "that's going to affect a lot of people. And you got to go out there and play and you get your confidence back by playing. There's not a magical motivational speech or anything. Jimmy's got the ability to do it, we know he will do it."
Garoppolo will start again in the third exhibition game Saturday in Kansas City and is expected to play more than he did in Denver. The 49ers will have two practices closed to reporters Wednesday and Thursday that aren't expected to be full speed because they will be traveling on a short week.
It's expected Saturday's game will be Garoppolo's final tune-up before the regular-season opener Sept. 8 in Tampa Bay. The goal will be to get him in a better rhythm to avoid repeating his performance from Monday.
"What stinks is when you go out there and you just a few opportunities and it doesn't go right, and you're not in a position to play yourself out of it," said Shanahan. "Hopefully he'll get to play longer versus Kansas City. I hope it's all good things. But most likely there will be some good, some bad, and then we'll see how long he can stay in and grow from it."
