Garoppolo gets start against Chicago Bears
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan decided Tuesday that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will get his first start for his new team Sunday against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Shanahan wanted to be patient with Garoppolo, giving him time to learn a new system.
The Rolling Meadows High School graduate saw his first playing time for the Niners (1-10) on Sunday against Seattle, when he played the final 1:07 after rookie C.J. Beathard suffered injuries to his left knee and hip in his fifth start.
Garoppolo scrambled for 4 yards, completed a 9-yard pass for a first down and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass as time expired.
Shanahan met with Garoppolo and Beathard on Tuesday to inform them of his decision. The coach said he would not factor Garoppolo's three plays against the Seahawks into his decision.
The 49ers acquired Garoppolo at the Oct. 31 trading deadline by sending a second-round draft choice to New England. He played his first 3½ seasons for the Patriots after they drafted him in the second round (62nd overall) out of Eastern Illinois University in 2014.
Shanahan said Monday he had seen Garoppolo take steps forward. He also said Beathard was "pretty banged up" after suffering a bruise to his left knee and a hip strain, and that he wanted to give Beathard a little more time to recover before making a decision on this week's starter.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Garoppolo spent most of his time in New England sitting behind Tom Brady. When Brady was suspended for the first four games last year, Garoppolo moved to No. 1. A shoulder injury sidelined him after two starts.
The 26-year-old Garoppolo threw just 94 passes for New England but completed 63 for 690 yards, 5 touchdowns, no interceptions and a 106.2 passer rating.
Garoppolo takes over a 49ers offense that is 17th in passing yards and 30th in average gain per pass, 21st in total yards and 28th in scoring. Former Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer started the first six games for the 49ers before Beathard took over.
Garoppolo faces a Bears defense that is 12th in passing yards allowed, 16th in average gain allowed per pass and No. 7 in sack percentage.
As a four-year starter at EIU, Garoppolo set school career records for completions, yards and touchdowns, previously held by Tony Romo. As a senior, he threw for 5,050 yards, 53 touchdowns and just 9 interceptions, winning the Walter Payton Award as the FBS's top offensive player.
• The Bears (3-8) waived Tre McBride on Tuesday. The wide receiver had 8 receptions for 144 yards and no touchdowns this season.
• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere.