Will Jimmy Garoppolo be available for the NFC Championship Game?

The San Francisco 49ers face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in the 2023 NFC Championship Game, and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will be inactive. Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Garoppolo could begin practicing this week if the 49ers advance to the Super Bowl, but he is unavailable for the NFC title game.

Brock Purdy is the 49ers current starting quarterback and Josh Johnson is his backup. Garoppolo is the only other quarterback on the 49ers active roster with Trey Lance still on injured reserve. Lance had a second surgery on his ankle in December and will not be returning until the 2023 regular season.

This is Purdy’s team for what remains of the rest of the season. Garoppolo is a free agent in the offseason and appears on track to be fully healthy when he hits the market in early March. He could theoretically still re-sign with the 49ers, but if he chooses, he can wait to hit the market now that the team cannot use a franchise or transition tag to retain him.