San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York recounted a funny story this week about hearing the news of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's ACL tear in Week 3.
"I thought I broke my wrist in Kansas City when I heard [Garoppolo] tore his ACL," said York as he explained how he punched a wall, per NBC Sports: "I’m glad I wasn’t on IR... It was a good punch. Unfortunately, it was a stud. You’ve got to find the dry wall. That’s the key. It looks so much better to put a hole through the wall.”
The story helps sum up what could be a boiling frustration in San Francisco -- the league's second worst team in 2018 despite making the NFL world buzz with excitement a year ago. Having moved on from head coaches Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly after consecutive one-and-done seasons in 2015/16 - with 5-11 and 2-14 records respectively - York shows no signs of impatience with his third-year tandem of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch:
"Knowing that [Shanahan and Lynch] are both first time in their jobs, we need to make sure that we get through some of that trial and error," York told reporters at the Owners Meeting in Arizona: "There are going to be things that get broken, there are going to be mistakes that are made, but how do we learn from that and how do we get better?
"There are a lot of things that you don't know what you don't know when you're in those positions, and I think it's been interesting to watch these guys really come together and show they are a stronger bond today than what they were two years ago," continued York: "And it's only getting stronger."
York suggests San Francisco's 10-22 record in the last two years speaks more of injury woes than anything else. The 49ers placed 18 players on injured reserve last year and 24 players on the list in 2017, per Pro Football Reference.
"I think our guys have been very strong-willed and tough-minded," said York of the injuries: "They are able to fight through those things. It allows you to build character on your team, and I hope that will serve us well going forward."
Garoppolo's ACL tear ruined the 2018 season, but starting running back Jerrick McKinnon had already put a dent in the game plan when he tore his ACL just a week before the season began. Those two players are both in the Top 5 of San Francisco's most expensive players, per Over The Cap.
Those two players' health will certainly be paramount if the San Francisco 49ers are to turn their fate around and have a draft pick outside the Top 9 for the first time since 2015.
COVER PHOTO: USA Today
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