Jimmy Garoppolo entered the league when he was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. For several seasons, the QB was believed to be the heir-apparent to Tom Brady, serving as his backup in New England. At the Pats, Jimmy G won two Super Bowl championships before being traded to the 49ers for a second round pick right before the trade deadline in October 2017. This trade came at a time where Brady had missed time with suspension, and Garoppolo had impressively stood-in. After a brilliant end to the 2017 season, Garoppolo became the highest paid player in the league, signing a deal worth $137.5 million across five years. His 2018 was cut short when he unfortunately tore his ACL in week 3. Jimmy G has received criticism during this past preseason for reportedly throwing multiple interceptions - including five straight - in training. Whilst I understand why that might be concerning, isn’t that what preseason is for? Garoppolo himself has said that he purposely throws into coverage during this period. As long as he doesn’t do it in the regular season, 49ers fans won’t care one bit.

Head Coach: Kyle Shanahan

Shanahan rose to prominence in Atlanta where he served as offensive coordinator for the Falcons team that led the league in scoring in 2016 and made it to the Super Bowl. Shanahan was named AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year for his exploits that season, and left the team to become the head coach of the 49ers. In his first year in San Francisco, Shanahan won six and lost ten games but saw great improvement after he traded for Garoppolo. When the quarterback went down in 2018, so did their hopes of success as the team struggled. With the 2019 season looming, Shanahan has a fully fit Garoppolo and a young, exciting 49ers team that could be the shock of the year.

Offensive Player to Watch: George Kittle

A rookie in 2017, George Kittle burst onto the stage amongst a scene of doom-and-gloom in San Francisco last season. In 2018, Kittle set the NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,377 and was named to his first Pro Bowl, as well as Second-team All-Pro. Kittle is a threat due to his impressive athleticism; he is remarkably fast for a guy that stands 6 ft 4 and weighs 113 kg. It’s a frightening thought for defenses across the NFL that Kittle will be paired with Jimmy G in 2019.