Behind Enemy Lines: 49ers’ QB situation in flux vs. Cardinals

After a week off, the Arizona Cardinals can sweep the season series from the San Francisco 49ers and pick up their second road win of the year on Sunday.

Larry Fitzgerald’s game-winning catch in overtime helped the Cardinals (3-4) beat the 49ers in Week 4 at home. Three weeks earlier, after a season-opening loss to the Lions in Detroit, Arizona needed overtime to beat the Andrew Luck-less Colts in Indianapolis.

But the Cardinals’ road woes returned against the Philadelphia Eagles. After a bounce-back win at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cardinals lost to the Los Angeles Rams in London and in the process, lost starting quarterback Carson Palmer for at least eight weeks.

Now the Cardinals’ hopes of recapturing their road mojo falls on the shoulders of backup turned starting quarterback Drew Stanton against an 0-8 team.

All week-long, we’ll keep you updated on what’s going on with the 49ers as they prepare to face the Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

It’s Behind Enemy Lines…

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• John Lynch asked Bill Belichick if Tom Brady was available in a trade (Niners Nation)

The Internet would have melted down if the 49ers had acquired Brady in a trade. It obviously was never going to happen, but it’s safe to say that would have been one of the most stunning moves in NFL history.

• Niners have options at QB with Jimmy Garoppolo in fold (ESPN.com)

While the San Francisco 49ers’ trade with the New England Patriots for Jimmy Garoppolo might suggest that they would enter into a long-term partnership with the quarterback, in reality, he serves as a placeholder at the position until they get to know each other, league sources told ESPN.

• Predicting the 49ers inactives for Week 9 vs. the Cardinals (Niners Nation)

The last couple weeks, the 49ers have deactivated WR Victor Bolden Jr., DB Dexter McCoil, and LB Pita Taumopenu. Those three are all healthy, and one of them seems likely to be inactive today.

• Reuben Foster expected to play Sunday vs. Cardinals (Niners Nation)

Foster’s return is important in stopping Adrian Peterson and Andre Ellington out of the backfield. He will likely be wearing the green sticker helmet to call plays, with Brock Coyle playing next to him.

• 49ers vs. Cardinals, Week 9: Game time, TV schedule, online streaming, announcers, depth chart (Niners Nation)

Beathard will have a tough go of it this week, even against a shaky Cardinals team. He will not have his top weapon, with wide receiver Pierre Garçon sidelined the rest of the season with a neck injury. He also will not have his left tackle, with Joe Staley at least a couple weeks with an orbital fracture.

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Saturday, November 4

• Jimmy Garoppolo will be 49ers’ backup QB on Sunday (San Francisco Chronicle)

Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that just-acquired Jimmy Garoppolo will be the second-string quarterback Sunday against the Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium.

• 49ers: Without Garcon, who will Garoppolo target? (San Francisco Chronicle)

If quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo makes his 49ers’ debut before Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley returns from his eye injury, there is some concern he would have a target on his back.

On a related note: Who in the world will be his favorite target when he takes his first snap?

• Julian Edelman on Jimmy Garoppolo to 49ers: ‘They’re getting a stud’ (ESPN.com)

One thing that has become clear since the New England Patriots traded quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday is how widely respected Garoppolo is by many in the organization.

Take, for example, veteran receiver Julian Edelman.

• Banged-up 49ers look to depth against Cardinals to get first win (ESPN.com)

The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals will meet for the second time this season on Sunday with the Niners still in search of their first win of the season. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT at Levi’s Stadium.

Here’s a look at three things to watch from the 49ers’ perspective in this one.

• Now a starter, Ahkello Witherspoon’s development critical to 49ers’ future (ESPN.com)

In the span of 1:05 in last week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers rookie Ahkello Witherspoon found himself on both ends of the spectrum that goes with playing cornerback in the NFL.

• 49ers add DL, OT to roster ahead of game vs Cardinals; Garcon to IR (NBC Sports Bay Area)

The 49ers on Saturday added defensive lineman Ronald Blair and offensive tackle Darrell Williams to their 53-man roster to be eligible to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

• Why ex-coaches think Jimmy Garoppolo will have 49ers looking good (San Jose Mercury News)

With the acquisition of Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers hope they have a quarterback who can serve as the face of the franchise.

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Friday, November 3

• Pierre Garcon’s season ends; latest starter on IR in 49ers’ painful season (San Francisco Chronicle)

Pierre Garcon, the 49ers’ leading receiver and biggest free-agent acquisition, will be placed on season-ending injured reserve with a neck injury, the team announced Thursday.

• Job insecurity: Some 49ers not feeling safe at 0-8 (San Francisco Chronicle)

Consider: In the past three weeks, the 49ers have released arguably their most accomplished player (NaVorro Bowman), cut their season-opening starting quarterback (Brian Hoyer), traded their season-opening No. 1 cornerback (Rashard Robinson) and parted with a cornerback selected No. 68 overall in the 2016 draft (Will Redmond).

• Next step for 49ers after trade: Build around Jimmy Garoppolo (ESPN NFL Nation)

With Garoppolo in place and the belief that he can be the franchise quarterback the Niners have been seeking for years, the Niners set themselves up to take advantage of the opportunity to get better as an organization in 2018.

• Jimmy Garoppolo shares how he learned of his trade to the 49ers (KNBR.com)

Though the quarterback’s agent didn’t give him many hints, Garoppolo said he’s always been eager to become a franchise quarterback, and on Monday evening, Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick called him personally to deliver the news.

• Robinson’s ‘repeated mistakes’ taken into account before trade (NBC Sports Bay Area)

Under the direction of then-general manager Trent Baalke, the 49ers took a gamble with the 2016 fourth-round selection of Rashard Robinson. The promising cornerback had not played football for two seasons after twice being suspended at LSU.

The new regime showed little patience for Robinson’s repeated mistakes. He was called for eight penalties through the first seven games. After being demoted as a starter last week, Robinson was called for two penalties on special teams against the Philadelphia Eagles.

• Shanahan reveals fascinating option for Garoppolo’s 49ers debut (NBC Sports Bay Area)

“I can’t promise you guys that he won’t play this week,” Shanahan said. “I can’t promise you guys that he’ll play this year.”

• 49ers defense braces for vintage Adrian Peterson (San Jose Mercury News)

This will be Peterson’s third game with them, but their first since quarterback Carson Palmer was lost to a fractured arm, creating the need for Peterson to revert to his old workhorse status with the Minnesota Vikings.

“He still looks every bit as good now as then,” linebacker Brock Coyle said.

• Where in world is 49ers Reuben Foster? (San Jose Mercury News)

Reuben Foster, the 49ers’ bright-smiling and hard-hitting rookie linebacker, was supposed to make this team watchable.

What ever happened to that guy?

Ankle, rib and most recently back injuries have kept him inactive six games and forced him out the only two games he played. He totaled 64 of 593 defensive reps as the 49ers careened to an unsightly 0-8 start.

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Thursday, November 2

• Jimmy Garoppolo’s history as a high school … linebacker (NBC Sports Bay Area)

On Tuesday in Santa Clara, the 49ers introduced Jimmy Garoppolo — the guy they envision as their quarterback of the future.

The soon-to-be 26 year-old (his birthday is on Thursday) didn’t grow up dreaming about being an NFL signal-caller.

Garoppolo joined the Murph & Mac Show on KNBR 680 on Wednesday morning, and was asked about his college options coming out of high school.

• 49ers’ C.J. Beathard assumes odd title: forgotten starter (SF Chronicle)

On Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch made it clear they view Garoppolo as their QB of the future.

That was a label Beathard was trying to earn, but it now appears his best-case scenario is to enter 2018 as Garoppolo’s backup. Shanahan spoke with Beathard shortly after the 49ers made the trade Monday and indicated the Patriots’ unexpected offer was one they couldn’t refuse.

• 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan in no rush to play Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco Chronicle)

On Wednesday, his first full day with his new employer, Jimmy Garoppolo approached 49ers guard Brandon Fusco in the locker room and asked him where to find the team-issued shorts.

A few minutes later, after pulling shorts out of a red bin, Garoppolo went to wide receiver Trent Taylor: “Where are the towels?”

Yes, the 49ers’ just-arrived quarterback was just trying to get his bearings two days after he was acquired in a trade from the Patriots.

• Garoppolo in Glendale: Arians recalls 49ers QB’s first career start (San Francisco Chronicle)

Today, the Cardinals head coach, whose team will visit the 49ers on Sunday, was asked for his memories of Garoppolo’s first career start. In the 2016 season opener, Garoppolo led the Patriots to a 23-21 win at Arizona in a prime-time meeting between teams that lost in the previous season’s conference championship games.

“His poise,” Arians said. “It was the opening game. A big, big game on Sunday night and his accuracy was really good in that game. But I was really impressed with his poise.”

• Steve Young dreams of Jimmy Garoppolo hitting the ground running (San Jose Mercury News)

But when the newly acquired Jimmy Garoppolo elicits such thoughts from a 49ers legend like Young, those same folks will want to learn what he told KNBR.

In an interview with Tolbert & Lund on Wednesday, the three-time Super Bowl champion considered the chances that Garoppolo can come in and change things — though he tempered his expectations a little bit.

“This is a work in progress. Let’s not get carried away. But the thing is, if he hits the ground running and everyone says, ‘Wow’ … You dream about that,” said Young, now an ESPN analyst. “You dream that someone can just come in and take control like that.”

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Wednesday, November 1

• New 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo quickly takes charge (San Francisco Chronicle)

A day after he was traded by the Patriots, Garoppolo, 25, who was flanked by general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, began his introductory news conference by thanking his new employer and former team.

After Garoppolo finished his 25-second spiel, Lynch noted that his customary big-event role had been hijacked.

“I think Kyle will tell you a great quality of a quarterback: taking charge,” Lynch said. “I thought I was starting, but, hey, have at it Jimmy.”

• 49ers trade penalty-prone cornerback Rashard Robinson to Jets (San Francisco Chronicle)

Rashard Robinson, who began 2017 as the 49ers’ No. 1 cornerback and was benched last week amid a season filled with penalties, was traded to the Jets on Tuesday for a fifth-round pick.

• Trade for Garoppolo frees up 49ers in 2018 draft (San Francisco Chronicle)

Thanks to the deal, and their 0-8 record, they can now use their likely top-five pick on a need such as edge rusher, or cornerback, or offensive lineman, or running back (looking at you, Saquon Barkley). Or they could deal their top-five pick to a quarterback needy team, as they did with the Bears in April, and collect more picks after dealing what will be an early second rounder to New England.

• What a Jimmy Garoppolo deal with the 49ers could look like (ESPN.com)

Next up for the 49ers: deciding how to proceed on a contract extension for a player who flashed ability in two NFL starts but finished only one of them (Garoppolo passed for 232 yards and three touchdowns in his second start, against Miami last season, before suffering a shoulder injury).

• Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers may be long-term fit, but in no rush to reach deal (ESPN NFL Nation)

After listening to general manager John Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan and Garoppolo answer repeated questions about when that could happen, it became increasingly clear that this will not be a shotgun wedding, even though all parties indicated a desire to eventually walk down the aisle.

• 49ers envision Jimmy Garoppolo as ‘QB of the future’ even as free agency looms (NBC Sports Bay Area)

Although it appears Garoppolo wants to be the 49ers’ franchise quarterback as much as the 49ers want that from him, there is no reason to rush it before he has even stepped on a practice field with his new team.

• Jimmy Garoppolo comes to 49ers with lessons from Tom Brady (San Jose Mercury News)

In New England, Garoppolo, who turns 26 this week, had the good fortune / horrible curse to serve as Tom Brady’s backup. He started only twice over 3 1/2 seasons, leaving him to bask in the glory of which he played only a small part. He was Mozart’s piano tuner.

• Kurtenbach: Four things the Garoppolo trade tells us about Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers (San Jose Mercury News)

Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers rebuild was in Year Zero — a proto-rebuild year, where he could survey the state of the team and determine firsthand where he should start the painful process of rebuilding.

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Tuesday, October 31

• Jimmy Garoppolo deal makes 49ers’ season suddenly more intriguing (San Francisco Chronicle)

A lost 49ers season just got a whole lot more interesting. In a headline-making, day-before-the-trade-deadline move, the winless 49ers sent a second-round pick in next spring’s draft to New England for Jimmy Garoppolo. They will have half a season to test drive their new acquisition.