SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Shortly before the San Francisco 49ers met the Los Angeles Rams in a must-have Week 18 game, fullback Kyle Juszczyk approached quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo with a message he could no longer keep to himself.
«I didn't know when the right time was to say something to him,» Juszczyk said. «But I did want to say something because at the end of the day, he's been my quarterback for five years and I just wanted to let him know that I appreciated him. All the ups and downs that we have had, he's been such a pro and such a friend and a great teammate throughout the whole thing.»
For the better part of the two weeks before that game, Juszczyk had become increasingly aware of the real possibility that any game the Niners played, especially the season finale, could be their last one together in San Francisco.
«Me and Juice had a cool moment there,» Garoppolo said. «It's these guys on the team, I love this team, love the players, love everything about it. It's a good group to be around, fun group. And we want to keep this thing going for as long as we can.»
That moment between Juszczyk and Garoppolo might seem small, but it's instructive of how the Niners have arrived at Sunday's third meeting with the Rams, this time in the NFC Championship Game (6:30 p.m. ET, Fox). It's another chance for the Niners to seek their Super Bowl redemption, after losing two seasons ago to the Kansas City Chiefs, and for Garoppolo to shape his NFL future.
Soon after the Niners traded up to the No. 3 pick in March to draft Trey Lance as their franchise quarterback and Garoppolo's replacement, neither side shied away from the reality of the situation.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch let Garoppolo know what
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