Former 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci took to the red carpet at Super Bowl LVII to discuss what it’s like being a football coach for 15+ years and why Jimmy Garoppolo deserves to start somewhere next season.
It certainly appears that the Jimmy Garoppolo era is coming to an end.
The veteran quarterback has already said his goodbyes, even though he still remains on the roster and the organization has yet to confirm their intention to trade him.
His four-plus seasons with San Francisco consisted of plenty of highs and plenty of lows. Despite his rollercoaster tenure with the organization, he will inevitably leave as one of the winningest quarterbacks in 49ers franchise history.
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Former 49ers coach and current NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci joined NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco for an interview at Radio Row during Super Bowl week, where he reflected on Garoppolo's tenure with the team.
"I've said it a million times ... you pay your quarterback to win," Mariucci said. "'Win' means (something) different to some organizations than others. For the Niners, 'wins' means Super Bowl wins for the most part. Jimmy Garoppolo had a good record, you can't deny that. His record is right up there with all the excellent quarterbacks in this league. He did go to one Super Bowl and almost another and had some injuries. It doesn't matter if a guy is a running quarterback like Lamar Jackson or a pocket passer like Tom Brady, you pay him to win."
Whenever Garoppolo's time with the 49ers officially comes to an end, Mariucci believes that the veteran quarterback should be recognized and appreciated for his success with the team.
"So I gotta tip my hat to Jimmy G because he did that as well as anybody for the most part outside of maybe Tom Brady," Mariucci added. "When the club moves up in the draft to take a Trey Lance third pick, that's a commitment.
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"I think they should throw a party for Jimmy and say thank you, because you know what, he gave them a lot of wins. There were times where people were rough on him ... but you know what, he played pretty darn well overall. He'll land on his feet someplace else and he'll start someplace else, you watch. And then it'll be Trey Lance's turn."
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Garoppolo will likely depart the 49ers after posting a record of 31-14, which included two deep playoff runs, a near Super Bowl LIV victory and having helped usher in a new, exciting era of football for San Francisco fans.
Even though he has already said his goodbyes, fans will inevitably reflect on his impact on the organization once again if/when he is traded this offseason.