Jimmy Garoppolo's health will be a big story this offseason. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback is expected to be the team's Week 1 starter when the regular season kicks off, but he still has to prove he is ready to do so.
Garoppolo suffered a season-ending ACL injury during a Week 3 trip to Kansas City in late-September. The 49ers remain confident that he will be able to start throwing and do some non-contact work during organized team activities, which kick off in late-May. That would place Garoppolo eight months removed from his injury.
49ers general manager John Lynch joined KNBR on Friday morning and was asked when fans can expect to see Garoppolo practicing with his teammates.
"I think the good news is, I really believe, the way this thing is going, that he's going to be able to take part in a lot of our offseason," Lynch said on the "Murph and Mac" show. "I'm not going to say day one of our offseason program because I think that's still being decided, but I think it may be in 7-on-7, where there's no d-linemen who could fall around his feet, he'll be able to do that.
"So he's doing really, really well, and I think he'll be able to take part in a lot of our offseason program. And that's exciting for us. It's exciting for Jimmy, and for his teammates."
Garoppolo is at the 49ers facility every day working with trainers during his rehab. That includes throwing the football around on the practice field.
"He's been tireless in his work to the point sometimes we've got to kick him out and say, 'Hey, go take some rest,'" Lynch added. "He's doing really, really well. He's eager to get back on the field. He still has a lot of rehab left, and he's been really diligent. So people would be really proud the way he's attacked this, and we're looking forward to having him back."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
