Jimmy Garoppolo could be Brock Purdy's backup in a 49ers Super Bowl

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo could very well make a return to the team’s lineup this postseason if the team makes it to the Super Bowl.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Sunday that if the 49ers beat the Eagles, then Garoppolo could return to practice and be listed as Brock Purdy’s backup. The Super Bowl will be held two weeks from now.

“Based on the scans that he got earlier in the week, my understanding is that he is healed enough where he could begin practicing this week,” Rapoport said. “And he could get to the point where he could be the backup, not the starter, but the backup for Brock Purdy in the Super Bowl.”

Garoppolo became the second quarterback the 49ers lost in the regular season on Dec. 4 against Miami. The broken foot gave Purdy the opportunity to have the meteoric rise that he’s had so far.

There have been signs as early as a couple weeks removed from Garoppolo's initial injury that a comeback was possible. Head coach Kyle Shanahan talked about a "way outside chance" of a return in the postseason before the playoffs started. After the Niners beat the Seahawks, Garoppolo was out of a walking boot and had returned to the practice field. Still, Shanahan repeated that there was an “outside chance” of a return for the NFC championship game. 

It now looks like that outside chance has increased significantly, according to Rapoport. A trip to the Super Bowl would mean that the 31-year-old will be 10 weeks removed from the injury, which is apparently long enough for the quarterback to be listed as active, even if he won’t be under center. 

Garoppolo was on the field in pads for the first Super Bowl of the Shanahan era; it would only make sense for him to be there on the second appearance.