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Jimmy Garoppolo hears noise; teammates have his back amid criticism

SANTA CLARA, Calif. —Jimmy Garoppolo’s approach is even-keeled.
20275994_web1_200124-RDA-Jimmy-Garoppolo

SANTA CLARA, Calif. —Jimmy Garoppolo’s approach is even-keeled.

His 49ers teammates say that’s one of his best traits as a leader. There are no emotional swings or outbursts. It’s why he can do something like bring the offense together on the sideline against the Green Bay Packers in November for a quick pep talk to get everyone refocused.

The quarterback’s teammates also appreciate his selflessness, which might be important heading into the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, given all the discussion around the fact the 49ers called on him to pass just eight times in the NFC Championship game.

“That’s wild that he takes criticism for that. We won the game,” left tackle Joe Staley said Thursday.

Coach Kyle Shanahan, Garoppolo and his teammates are going to be asked, over and over again, about how much the team trusts Garoppolo when they deal with the slew of media obligations next week in Miami.

After all, Shanahan dialed up 89 running plays to just 27 passes in victories over the Minnesota Vikings and Packers while Garoppolo was used sparingly.

Questioning Garopppolo has been a theme from outside observers all season. Garoppolo entered the year an unknown commodity given this season marked the first time he started all 16 games.

Yet he’s answered the bell, time and again, helping his team go 13-3 during the regular season, get the No. 1 seed and then cruise through the playoffs to 17-point wins against both opponents.

Tight end George Kittle took a humorous approach when he was asked about the outside noise about his quarterback Thursday.

“He definitely gets to choose which plays we call,” Kittle said sarcastically. “He’s the offensive coordinator so, he definitely chose to only throw the ball eight times because of how scared of how well he can throw the ball.”

Then Kittle took a more serious tone: “I mean, it’s incredible. All he’s done is win sine he’s been here. … He had a spurt of games where both his tackles were missing, I was out, Juice (Kyle Juszczyk) was out. Him and Emmanuel Sanders won us a game at Arizona. His arm won us a game against Arizona here. His arm kept us in the game in multiple other games.”

The 49ers had the NFL’s second-ranked scoring offense and ranked fourth in yardage. Garoppolo was the only quarterback in the NFL to finish in the top five in completion percentage (69.1), yards per attempt (8.4) and touchdown passes (27). He had excellent performances in the team’s two biggest games of the regular season, at New Orleans and Seattle.

And he tied for the league lead with four fourth-quarter comebacks joining MVP candidate Russell Wilson and Josh Allen of the Bills.

Garoppolo hears the debate show and sports talk radio noise heading into the Super Bowl where so many are giving the Chiefs an edge because they have quarterback Patrick Mahomes, whose resume includes a 50-touchdown, 5,000-yard MVP season last year, and throwing eight touchdown passes with no interceptions during Kansas City’s two playoff games this month.

While Garoppolo hears the criticism and chatter, he may not address it like his teammate, Richard Sherman, but he uses it as fuel in a similar manner.

“Everyone has different ways to get motivated. Very similar to Sherm, I do the same thing,” Garoppolo said.

“I hear all the stuff and everything. But you can’t put that all out there all the time. You have to do with it what you will and take it for what it is. And the end of the day, you got to go out there and play football.”

Staley said Garoppolo’s approach to the situation is emblematic of the team. The 49ers throughout the year have been a close-knit group and Shanahan’s decision to lean heavily on the running game and not his franchise quarterback isn’t going to create any fissures ahead of the biggest game of the season.

“I think that’s another example of this team being very selfless in what we’re doing,” said Staley, “is that you have a quarterback who could care less if he throws for 500 yards or throws for 10. He just wants to win the game. It’s a whole entire team like that.”

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Running back Tevin Coleman didn’t participate in Thursday’s practice after dislocating his right shoulder last week against the Packers, but he did show signs of being able to return in 10 days in time for the Super Bowl.

Coleman went through workout on the side field as his teammates practiced Thursday, doing conditioning and running with a ball in his hands after getting carted off in the second quarter on Sunday. Shanahan indicated during the week he was optimistic Coleman would be available to play against the Chiefs and Coleman’s workout Thursday indicated he’s tending positively.

—Wide receiver Dante Pettis didn’t participate in Thursday’s practice and may be dealing with an illness. The flu has gone around the organization in recent weeks and the team is working to keep it from spreading.

—Linebacker Kwon Alexander (pectoral) and safety Jaquiski Tartt (ribs) both were limited in practice in blue noncontact jerseys. Both appear likely to be fine in time for the Super Bowl.