Cris Collinsworth: Jimmy Garoppolo can take 49ers to Super Bowl victory

NBC Sports' Cris Collinsworth believes quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo can take the San Francisco 49ers all the way this season. 

"Could Jimmy go to any system and be All-Pro? I don’t know," Collinsworth said during an appearance on the "49ers Talk with Matt Maiocco" podcast, as shared by Jaclyn Hendricks of the New York Post. "But I know he can take this team anywhere they want to go. Can they win a Super Bowl with Jimmy Garoppolo? Absolutely, they can. Absolutely, they can." 

The 49ers openly intended to trade Garoppolo and name 2021 No. 3 overall draft pick Trey Lance their new starter this past offseason. However, the 31-year-old underwent shoulder surgery in March and then signed a restructured contract in August to serve as Lance's backup. Garoppolo returned to the QB1 position on the depth chart after Lance suffered a season-ending broken right ankle in Week 2. 

"When people asked me about it in the beginning, I was like, 'Why would you trade Jimmy Garoppolo?' This year I think they’re sitting on a heck of a team," Collinsworth explained before he helped call the "Sunday Night Football" action as Jimmy G guided the Niners to a 22-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers that improved San Francisco to 5-4 on the season. "And if something happens, like it did to Trey, then you’re going to need somebody to go." 

As has often been the case, Garoppolo is a polarizing figure among observers and even as it pertains to his numbers this fall. Per ESPN stats, the veteran began Monday sixth among eligible quarterbacks with a 100.0 passer rating, third with an average of 8.1 yards per pass attempt, eighth with a 66.8% completion percentage, and 19th with a 48.2 total QBR on the campaign. In eight games, he has 11 touchdown passes and four interceptions. 

There's already chatter that the 49ers could consider keeping Garoppolo their starter into next summer or pursue current Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller Tom Brady. For now, San Francisco is preparing to face the 4-6 Arizona Cardinals next Monday night.