On Thursday, Jimmy Garoppolo will reunite with his former 49ers teammates on a field for the first time since he watched helplessly from the sideline in the NFC Championship Game defeat to the Eagles.

Reduced to the role of spectator after suffering a broken foot in Week 13, Garoppolo could provide no assistance in the title game after Brock Purdy suffered a torn elbow ligament on the Niners' first offensive series.

However, after Christian McCaffrey's 23-yard rushing touchdown tied the game, Garoppolo allowed himself a brief moment to consider the possibility of playing under center for the 49ers in the Super Bowl for the second time, revealing he had planned to make his return if San Francisco made it.

Per Mike Silver of The San Francisco Chronicle, Garoppolo said: "Oh yeah, I was playing. That was kind of the plan of not getting the surgery [on his foot]."

Garoppolo, of course, never got the chance to make a remarkable return to the field against a Chiefs team San Francisco lost to in Super Bowl LIV. The Eagles coasted to a 31-7 victory against a 49ers team that ended the game without a healthy quarterback.

It was a disappointing end to a bizarre year for Garoppolo, who practiced on a side field during training camp as the 49ers attempted to trade him, only to then sign a reworked deal to be the backup before stepping in for Trey Lance after his Week 2 injury.

Garoppolo was playing his best football since 2019 when he suffered yet another injury setback but, though 2022 was a rollercoaster for him, he says the previous season when Lance was waiting in the wings as his successor was more difficult to deal with.

“The year before was real awkward. That was tougher than this past year, honestly. You’re always gonna be dealt a hard hand at some point, and you’ve just got to make the best of it, and that’s what I’ve tried to do. That was a hard time. But I had some good people around me to lean on. The brothers in the locker room, those guys played a big role. I don’t think the fans always saw all that stuff, but those guys really picked me up when I was down sometimes. That’s why I love those guys in the locker room. All the crap that we went through for four to five years, whatever it was, we all stayed together in the locker room, and I thought that’s what made us such a tight group.”

With the bond Garoppolo has built with his former 49ers teammates, there are sure to be plenty of handshakes and hugs on the field before practice. 

The focus has switched to a new Super Bowl push for the Niners with Purdy under center, but what might have happened had San Francisco stunned Philadelphia and given Garoppolo a chance to deliver the ultimate parting gift will stand as one of great what-ifs in franchise history.

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