Kyle Shanahan: 'I Do Believe' Jimmy Garoppolo Will Be 49ers' QB Next Season

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated he intends to keep Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting quarterback for the 2021 season.

"I do believe Jimmy is going to be our quarterback next year," Shanahan told reporters Monday.

The Athletic's Matt Barrows provided some context:

Garoppolo has appeared in just six games this season after suffering a high ankle sprain in November. Prior to the injury, he had thrown for 1,096 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions, his 182.7 yards per game his lowest since joining San Francisco.

Because of his contract, some doubt hovers over the 29-year-old's future in the Bay Area. Were the Niners to release him this offseason, they'd save $23.4 million and absorb $2.8 million in dead money, per Spotrac. By designating him as a post-June 1 cut, that dead money would be split evenly across 2021 and 2022, and the team would save $24.8 million.

There's also the broad question as to whether Garoppolo will be the best option for San Francisco going forward. ESPN's Nick Wagoner examined how he has influenced the offense:

"When healthy, there's evidence that Garoppolo is a top-half-of-the-league quarterback, ranking 16th in the NFL in Total QBR since joining the 49ers in 2017. He's proved accurate on short and intermediate throws, allowing his pass-catchers to rack up yards after the catch, which is why his 8.3 yards-per-attempt average is second in the league since 2017.

"But the Niners have been unable to add a consistent downfield element to the passing game with Garoppolo averaging 7.1 air yards per attempt, tied for 40th, and just 7.2% of his attempts have traveled 20 or more air yards, which is last in the league among 44 qualified quarterbacks since 2017."

The Niners don't have a better internal candidate, but they're on track to get a pick in the middle of the first round. Cam Newton, Jameis Winston and Dak Prescott are among the veteran quarterbacks hitting free agency.

The franchise reached a Super Bowl with Garoppolo, but his production from that playoff run might be telling. He threw for 427 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions over three games. The running game was far more integral to the offense's success.

As Barrows wrote, Shanahan's comments Monday probably won't be the final say on the matter. Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury described Josh Rosen as "our guy" in February 2019 before selecting Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick.

Unless the 49ers have another viable quarterback alternative, sowing doubt about Garoppolo won't achieve anything.