49ers' Arik Armstead Defends Jimmy Garoppolo: 'When He Is on the Field, We Win'

In an interview with NBC Sports' Chris Simms on Unbuttoned, San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead defended teammate and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who has been the target of questions and criticisms and the subject of a since-dismissed rumor involving signal-caller Tom Brady becoming the team's quarterback.

"I thought it was cool for the media and fans, you know, cool story to be like this is crazy and draw a bunch of attention, but I didn't really think too much more of it than that," Armstead told Simms regarding the Brady rumors.

"I didn't see our organization in the position that we are in after the year that we just had and make a huge adjustment like that. Jimmy is our quarterback and our leader so I didn't see that as an actual possibility."

Brady, who was once teammates with Garoppolo on the New England Patriots, left the Pats for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency.

Questions and criticisms surrounded Garoppolo at times during the 49ers' NFC title run.

San Francisco notably leaned heavily on the ground game in the playoffs, to the point where Jimmy G threw just 27 times.

"Enough people are questioning whether Shanahan consciously took the ball out of Garoppolo's hands after a near-INT in the second half of the Divisional Round that Jimmy G using it as motivation isn't even eye-roll worthy," Kevin Patra of NFL.com wrote in January.

The 49ers' ground game wasn't as dominant versus the Kansas City Chiefs and their high-powered offense, leaving more work on the passing game's shoulders.

But Garoppolo didn't fare well in the title matchup, going 20-of-31 with one touchdown, two interceptions and 219 passing yards.

The criticisms only grew louder after that game. Deyscha Smith of Boston.com compiled many of them, one of which consisted of Jarrett Bell of USA Today saying Garoppolo had a "major meltdown."

Still, Garoppolo was an integral part of the team's 2019 success. He threw for four touchdown passes in three separate games, all of which were wins where the 49ers allowed 25 or more points and needed a strong offensive output to survive.

He also completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 8.36 yards per attempt, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions despite a rotating group of pass-catchers that saw Dante Pettis and Marquise Goodwin get benched, George Kittle miss two games because of injury and Emmanuel Sanders not arriving on scene until a midseason trade.

Kendrick Bourne and Richie James Jr. were the only wideouts to play all 16 games, but the former player never started and the latter player primarily saw work on special teams as a returner.

The 49ers ultimately finished with a 15-4 record (including playoffs) with Jimmy G under center, a fact that isn't lost on Armstead.

"I mean, shoot, when he is on the field, we win, Armstead said. "I mean, the year when he got here, when he was on the field, we won. And then he got hurt ... and then when he came back, we won. So I don't know really what more you want out of him."

The 49ers are first in the NFC and second overall to the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LV at 7-1 odds, per Caesars Palace.