Nick Mullens has been exceptionally leading the 49ers offensive in Jimmy Garoppolo’s absence, but coach Kyle Shanahan firmly believes there is no quarterback controversy.
“No, this scenario doesn’t exist, but I don’t think beyond a game either,” Shanahan said on Wednesday. “This is Jimmy’s team. He did a hell of a job for us and when he’s healthy he’ll play for us again. ”
Since Garoppolo took over the 49ers offensive in 2017, he has a regular season record of 20-6. In 2019, his only regular season as a starter, he threw nearly 4,000 yards and led his team to a Super Bowl appearance.
Usually the game of offense takes off when a team is faced with losing a starting quarterback to injury. That wasn’t the case when Mullens took over in Week 3.
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Mullens’ first start since 2018 resulted in a 36-9 breakdown by the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The 25-year-old quarterback completed 25 of his 36 passes for 343 yards and a touchdown that put him near the top of all quarterbacks in the first nine games.
While Shanahan has never wavered in his support for Garoppolo, Mullens could get another chance against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. Garoppolo, who was in training on Wednesday, has to prove to his coach that he is mobile enough not to suffer any further ankle injuries.
“He just needs to be able to be healthy if he can run around and protect himself and throw litters,” Shanahan said. “Whenever you are dealing with an ankle, you may feel good standing there, but can you move and get into those awkward positions without harming yourself?
“We really should see that. It would be difficult for us to see and really judge this if it wasn’t put into practice. “
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Shanahan also made it clear that Garoppolo had to do more than just individual exercises to be listed as a starter against the Eagles on Sunday night. The quarterback must be able to demonstrate in team exercises that he has the necessary mobility for a game.
When Garoppolo fails to train, Mullens starts a second straight week.
