NFL 2018: Biggest obstacle each team must overcome

San Francisco 49ers: Prove Garoppolo was worth hefty deal

The San Francisco 49ers took a lot of heat during the 2017 NFL Draft when they decided to pass on using their first-round pick on a quarterback since the offense was clearly in need of a new one to potentially build the offense around. Turns out, this was the best decision the 49ers could have made since it never would have led to them acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo from the Patriots, who will hopefully develop into their quarterback of the future.

It was a mystery in the middle of last season when San Francisco decided to hold off on playing Garoppolo right away, but once he was inserted into the starting lineup, the culture surrounding this team took a major step in the right direction. The fact that the 49ers ended the 2017 season as one of the hottest in the NFL after going 5-0 with Garoppolo shows just how special of a player he is.

Signing him to a ridiculous five-year, $137.5 million deal despite playing in just five games may seem like a surprising move, but also San Francisco knew they had to do it, or another team would have been willing to do the same. Now that San Francisco finally has a new potential quarterback to build the franchise around, it’s time for Garoppolo to put the money where his mouth is, and show he’s the real deal.