SANTA CLARA — Jimmy Garoppolo became a heartthrob to 49ers fans the instant he arrived on the franchise’s doorstep in a 2017 Halloween trade.
But what hooked him on the 49ers?
It wasn’t necessarily Kyle Shanahan’s offensive mind. It wasn’t just the financial windfall he soon would land. It wasn’t even the California sunshine, although he affirms it’s “very easy to get used to.”
“It was a young team, but the connection was real, and guys weren’t faking it,” Garoppolo recalled Friday. “That’s why I fell in love with this team.”
Fresh off getting dealt from perennial Super Bowl contender New England, Garoppolo joined a winless franchise where “everything was different.”
Actually, not everything.
“The one consistency I would say is the locker room,” Garoppolo said. “It was a similar atmosphere of people being together and pulling in the same direction.
“Initially I got traded here and was going to be a free agent at the end of the year, but it really stuck out to me just how together the team was.”
Going 5-0 once he made his December debut sent the 49ers in the right direction, leading up to last season’s Super Bowl. Now, injuries and a 3-3 start to the 2020 season are testing the 49ers’ cohesiveness and will tested as much as their 0-9 start did in 2017.
Garoppolo is geeked about going back to New England, however. He compares the excitement level to his 49ers starting debut, a victory at Chicago, not far from his childhood home of Arlington Heights.
“It’s an exciting week. I get to go back where it all started for my NFL career,” Garoppolo added.
Garoppolo credited the Patriots for setting him up for a smooth transition to becoming the 49ers’ franchise quarterback, and he returned compliments to Bill Belichick, who earlier this week raved about Garoppolo, a 2014 second-round pick who needed much tutoring out of Eastern Illinois.
“Being my first coach in the NFL, he was just very honest, really never beat around the bush and was very black and white with everything. That’s how I am. I appreciated that from him,” Garoppolo said. “Whether it was my first day there or the day I got traded, he always shot me straight.”
VERRETT’S REDEMPTION
Cornerback Jason Verrett’s career looks back at a Pro Bowl-caliber level, as supported by Sunday night’s acrobatic interception in the end zone to help seal a 24-16 win over the Rams.
Verrett called it “a preparation play” based on film study, and it drew a flood of congratulatory messages, from not only former teammates, coaches and general managers but also injured 49ers who were not at the game, including Richard Sherman and Nick Bosa.
Injuries derailed his tenure with the Chargers, and even after he spent most of his first 49ers season on injured reserve last year, that time off set him up for this year’s comeback.
“Last year was a lot, coming back from an ACL and an Achilles, tough injuries,” Verrett said. “The Niners did a good job noticing that I needed rest and time to get body stronger. The IR situation for me last year worked out. I got my speed back, I’ve got my strength back.
“Fast forward to where I am now and those injuries are behind me.”
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh praised Verrett not only for his play but his “quiet leadership” over the past year.
“All we did was watch JV work the last couple years, stay quiet, keep his head down and do everything he could to get back so he could provide help,” Saleh said. “And he’s doing it. Knock on wood, if he stays healthy, we’ll all see how great he is, again.”
KITTLE’S NEW ENGLAND DEBUT
Because this is the 49ers’ first trip to Foxborough since 2012, it is the first visit for most players, including tight end George Kittle, who takes time to appreciate his stadium debuts. This will be his 17th venue.
“Just that first step on a field is kind of a conscious step,” Kittle said. “You know, ‘Hey, this is a new place to leave your mark on.’ I definitely think about it. We’re all really excited about the challenge that awaits us. It’s going to be a fist fight. I look forward to it.”
He also looks forward to “National Tight Ends Day,” a pseudo-holiday as designated by the NFL for the last weekend of October.
“It’s fun, that tight ends get recognition on this one day, all are mic’d up and they mash it up together and it’s just fun,” Kittle said.
INJURY UPDATES
Left tackle Trent Williams returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s session with an ankle sprain. Williams was limited, as was running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (calf).
At center, Hroniss Grasu looks poised to start for the first time since the season opener in place of Ben Garland, who went on injured reserve with a calf strain.
Safety Jaquiski Tartt (groin) remained out of practice, and while Marcell Harris likely will replace him as in past years, another option is to call up Johnathan Cyprien from the practice squad as a reserve and special-teams helper.
Dre Greeenlaw is expected to start again in place of linebacker Kwon Alexander, who hasn’t practiced or played since an Oct. 11 high-ankle sprain.
WILLIS TRADE
The 49ers’ pending trade for edge rusher Jordan Willis offers him a chance to thrive in a system that suits his skillset, more so than his past stops at the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets.
“We hope this gives him a breath of fresh air and we feel this really fits his style of how we can maximize his body,” Saleh said. “We’re excited to give him an opportunity to compete, to get off the edge and get after the quarterback.”
TRAVEL PLANS & FANS
The 49ers will fly after Friday’s walk-through practice to Boston and will be sequestered at their suburban hotel until Sunday’s game in Foxborough (1:25 p.m. PT).
Fans are not allowed at the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium. The Seattle Seahawks announced Thursday they also will not have fans when the 49ers visit Nov. 1. Currently, Santa Clara County is banning the 49ers from allowing fans at Levi’s Stadium, which next hosts the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 4. Hence, the 49ers’ first game this season with fans is expected Nov. 15 at New Orleans, when as many as 6,000 fans might be present.
