It took parts of three seasons, but Jimmy Garoppolo finally made 16 starts in a 49ers uniform. He started five games in 2017, three in 2018, and now the first eight of 2019.

Garoppolo has amassed an extremely impressive 14-2 record as a starter, and his numbers back up how good he’s been since the 49ers acquired him at the trade deadline in 2017.

Through 16 starts with the 49ers, Garoppolo completed 67.6 percent of his 490 throws for 4,066 yards with 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. That’s good for a 96.5 rating, and 8.3 yards per attempt.

His completion rate would’ve been 11th in the NFL in 2018. His rating would’ve tied for 15th, his touchdowns tied for 14th, and his yards-per-attempt would’ve been tied for No. 5 with his teammate, Nick Mullens.

In 16 games, Garoppolo has four 300-yard contests, including his most recent start Week 9 against the Cardinals in Arizona when he ripped off 317 yards through the air. San Francisco hasn’t had a quarterback throw for 300-plus yards four times in a season since Jeff Garcia did it in 2000. Garcia joins Steve Young and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks to hit or eclipse the 300-yard mark four-plus times in a season.

The film matches the numbers too. He moves well in the pocket, manipulates defenses with his eyes, and orchestrates head coach Kyle Shanahan’s cutting edge offense. The 49ers don’t always need him to be a pass-heavy quarterback, but he can lead them to victory when they need him to.

It hasn’t been all smooth since Garoppolo arrived in San Francisco, but his record and numbers speak for themselves. He is an above average NFL quarterback capable of leading a playoff-caliber team. There’s a full season of data and tape to prove that, and an 8-0 start to the 2019 campaign is only helping the Garoppolo’s case as a bona fide franchise quarterback.