San Francisco 49s QB Jimmy Garoppolo Speaks With Peter King Exclusively On NBCSports.com

Peter King's latest edition of "Football Morning in America" on NBCSports.com includes visits with the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers as part of his annual training camp tour. This week's column features interviews with 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo on the direction of the franchise, VIKINGS offensive coordinator John DeFilippo on what lessons he learned from Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, a look at the national anthem issue, and this week's edition of "What I Learned" with Jacksonville Jaguars DL Yannick Ngakoue.

The following are highlights from this week's edition of "Football Morning in America":

• Garoppolo on if he ever considers the star-turn his life has taken: "I like to think about it at certain times. When I'm in here working, you just don't have any time to think about it. But every once in a while it's good to sit back and smell the roses as my dad would put it ... not now. Now, it's grind mode. Don't really have a lot of time for that."
• Tony Romo on labeling Kyle Shanahan as an offensive genius: "I don't throw that term around lightly-Kyle really is. I would argue there's three or four guys in the league who really separate themselves as head coaches or offensive coordinators getting chunk plays."
• 49ers TE Garrett Celek on when he knew Garoppolo was a keeper: "The first time he got in the huddle with us."
• Garoppolo on Shanahan: "I like Coach Shanahan because we've both got that smart-ass thing going on. Just our attitude-that little bit of sarcasm. I grew up with three brothers, so if you can't make fun of someone or can't take being made fun of, you're going to have a tough go."
• DeFilippo on working under Pederson: "He trusted [offensive coordinator] Frank Reich to pull the whole thing together. He and Frank both trusted all the offensive assistants to have our own areas and be the master of that area. So the TRUST on that coaching staff was earned-if Doug put you in charge of red-area plays, he trusted you to be the best in the league at knowing the best things to do in that area."
• Ngakoue on the importance of film study: "Last year, before we played Houston in the first game, I had a lot of time to watch their line, and they had a young guy at left tackle [Kendall Lamm] who I'd be going against. I had a long time to study him in the preseason, and I didn't waste it. I learned everything about him. I got two strip-sacks in that game."

Read the rest of the column here.

A new "Football Morning in America" will post every Monday morning exclusively on NBCSports.com. It was announced in May that King signed an exclusive agreement with NBC Sports Group that included writing a weekly Monday morning NFL column for NBCSports.com; making regular appearances on NBCSN's and NBC Sports Radio's PFT Live with Mike Florio; and continuing to contribute to Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports.