Jimmy Garoppolo leaves Niners' victory early with high ankle sprain; Nick Mullens 'likely' to start next week
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo left the Week 2 win over the New York Jets at halftime after suffering what coach Kyle Shanahan called a high ankle sprain.
Garoppolo was replaced in the second half by backup Nick Mullens, and according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Shanahan said Mullens is “likely” to start next week against the New York Giants.
Jimmy Garoppolo tweaks ankle early
Garoppolo was taken down early and hit in the back of the leg in the first quarter.
He finished the first half successfully, going 14-of-16 for 131 yards with two touchdowns to give the 49ers a 21-3 lead at the break. Garoppolo struggled to move at times, and repeatedly moved with a limp.
With a significant lead in hand in the second half, Mullens took Garoppolo’s place. The severity of his injury isn’t known.
The 49ers cruised, 31-13.
Garoppolo marks latest 49ers injury
Garoppolo’s injury marked the latest for many big ones for the 49ers. Despite the victory Sunday, San Francisco (1-1) is off to a rough start to the year.
Nick Bosa, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, injured his leg in a pile in the first quarter and had to be carted off the field. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he fears that Bosa suffered a torn ACL.
Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas went down soon after, and running back Raheem Mostert didn’t return in the second half after suffering a knee injury of his own. Mostert had an 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter while running at 23.1 miles per hour, the fastest speed the league has recorded in five years.
The team was already without star tight end George Kittle, who suffered a knee sprain in the 49ers’ Week 1 loss, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and cornerback Richard Sherman, too.
While the injury woes could hurt them in the long run, it doesn’t look to be an issue in the short term.
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