SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Moments after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo broke his left foot in a Dec. 4 win against the Miami Dolphins, general manager John Lynch's phone pinged.
The message was from Tony Dungy, one of Lynch's mentors and his former coach from his time as a safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dungy's message: "You guys are in good shape, just like in '99."
That text offered Lynch a reminder all was not lost without Garoppolo (or the previously injured Trey Lance, for that matter), that replacing their first two starters with rookie third-stringer Brock Purdy doesn't mean the Niners are incapable of going on a Super Bowl run.