Most of the NFL expected Jimmy Garoppolo to be traded by the San Francisco 49ers during the offseason. That hasn’t happened yet, but the expectation is still there that Garoppolo likely won’t be a 49er by the start of the 2022 NFL season.
The 49ers invested heavily into the future of their quarterback position in 2021, drafting Trey Lance with the 3rd overall pick after trading multiple first-round picks to the Miami Dolphins to get up to that spot. Lance was viewed as a raw prospect with bags of potential, and as a result, sat for most of the season behind Garoppolo. Lance started two games in the absence of Garoppolo – who was injured – and performed adequately enough, throwing five touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 57 percent of his passes.
Lance was always going to be the future for the 49ers, no matter how well Garoppolo played. Garoppolo was inconsistent but helped the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. Even before the season ended, there was talk of Garoppolo moving on in the offseason, so when the 2021 campaign wrapped up, it felt like it was only a matter of time.
However, it’s almost June and Garoppolo is still a member of the 49ers. There were rumblings early in the offseason that the 49ers coaching staff had mixed feelings towards Lance, but those doubts seem to have subsided and have given way to optimism. Lance will be the starter for San Francisco next season, and hopefully, the next decade.
But what happens now for Garoppolo?
Well, 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Tuesday that all offseason trade talks regarding Garoppolo were put on hold while he rehabbed his shoulder after surgery.
“I expect him at sometime most likely to be traded but, who knows, it’s not a guarantee,” Shanahan said. “It’s been on hold when [surgery] happened and when he’s healthy, we will see what happens.”
Even if Shanahan expects Garoppolo to be traded, he’s still not particularly fully committed to it. There are no guarantees in football. The 49ers might like the idea of keeping Garoppolo on the roster as an insurance policy for Lance, in case of injury. The 30-year-old has just one year, worth $24.2 million, left on his deal and if the Niners were to keep him on the roster as backup, they would still only be paying Lance and Garoppolo a combined $26 million in 2022. It wouldn’t stretch the 49ers financially to keep him around.
Realistically speaking, Garoppolo likely won’t be with the 49ers by the time the 2022 season rolls around. This is Lance’s team now and everyone knows it. The 49ers would prefer to get some tangible assets from trading Garoppolo – picks that can help strengthen the team around Lance – rather than hold on to the veteran. Cutting him isn’t an option – general manager John Lynch has already said as much.
Even if Shanahan has been non-committal about Garoppolo’s options, trade talks will likely restart once he’s fully rehabbed his injury. However what, if any, market for the former Niners signal caller materializes is anyone’s guess at this point.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @ThomasValenfine
Photo: Alexander Jonesi. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.