Shanahan: 49ers fear Garoppolo tore ACL

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team fears quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Sunday.

Garoppolo was carted off the field after his left knee buckled before he took a big hit along the sidelines from Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson.

Garoppolo could have stepped out of bounds but instead chose to fight for extra yardage on third-and 20 with his team trailing by 14 with a little over five minutes left in the fourth quarter. He planted his left leg and lowered his right shoulder into Nelson, who drilled the quarterback.

The 49ers’ medical staff evaluated Garoppolo’s left leg before he limped toward the sideline. Garoppolo later was carted to the locker room.

The 49ers made Garoppolo the highest-paid player in the NFL, at the time, when they signed him to a five-year, $137.5 million deal during the offseason. The contract included $74.1 million guaranteed.

Garoppolo was 20 of 30 for 251 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs when he went down. He also rushed three times for 23 yards.

In 26 career games (10 starts) with the 49ers and New England Patriots, Garoppolo has thrown for 2,968 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

–Field Level Media