49ers coach Kyle Shanahan admittedly wanted Kirk Cousins before Jimmy Garoppolo

The San Francisco 49ers have gone from a team with no direction and seemingly lost to a team that could be a contender in the NFC in the very near future. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have made the right moves. They are beginning to change the culture of the team.

One of the best moves the new dynamic duo in San Francisco has made is bringing in Jimmy Garoppolo. It was a steal of a trade they made with the New England Patriots. Garoppolo had instant success once made the starter. He lead the 49ers to five straight wins to finish the 2017 campaign and inspiring his teammates.

Although acquiring Garoppolo has clearly been the right choice, Shanahan had his sights set on reuniting with Kirk Cousins as Lynch made clear in a recent interview on ESPN.

“Jimmy [Garoppolo], we made the trade, but then there were some days that Kyle Shanahan was like in mourning, because I think everybody knows his master plan was to have Kirk Cousins come in eventually. I was proud of Kyle, because I think he knew that this was the right thing for our franchise. And he didn’t hesitate. But then, even then, Jimmy had to really prove himself. Kyle, I think was really smart. He didn’t play him right away.”

Futures

Despite Cousins moving on to the Vikings, the 49ers are in a great position to be successful for the foreseeable future. Garoppolo appears to be the real deal. He didn’t miss a beat once he got his opportunity in San Francisco.

Along with Garoppolo seemingly being the right man for the job under center, the 49ers have done a good job of building around the quarterback as well as improving the defense. Shanahan has the right tools to work with as the team tries to turn it around in 2018.