Earlier this week Jimmy Garoppolo shouted out DonJoy, the manufacturer of his knee brace, for protecting him from injury in the 49ers’ divisional round win over the Vikings.
He was limping after being tripped up, but finished the game strong.
“Thankfully I’ve got the brace on. DonJoy protecting me,” Garoppolo said in a Wednesday press conference.
It might be time for a DonJoy encore.
Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark hit Garoppolo low in the left leg early in the NFC Championship Game, putting that surgically repaired left knee at risk yet again.
But the brace protected Garoppolo again, keeping the knee from buckling sideways. The video is still a bit scary to watch for any 49ers fans who remember Garoppolo’s ACL tear from Week 3 last season.
Jimmy Garoppolo's knee brace saved him big time here. pic.twitter.com/jGtkZAjOYg
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 20, 2020
That initial knee injury just happens to be the last time the 49ers played the Chiefs, who secured their trip to the Super Bowl earlier Sunday afternoon.
Clark was assessed a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer on the play, and Garoppolo went on to continue the 49ers’ drive, which ended in a field goal.
Some folks online thought it was a dirty play by Clark. Others defended him as a guy who was falling on his was toward Garoppolo, or accused the 49ers offensive line of tripping him.
However Clark ended up at Garoppolo’s knee, the 49ers quarterback can breathe another sigh of relief.
