It's fairly obvious that the San Francisco 49ers aren't going to consider moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo if they can't find what they feel would be a better option at quarterback. That isn't going to stop a whole lot of speculation surrounding the position, which will likely carry on well into the offseason.
When presented the opportunity to sign Tom Brady this past offseason, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan at least considered it. They ultimately decided that their then-28-year-old quarterback was a better long-term option than a player who is 14 years older.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter joined KNBR this week and discussed San Francisco's conundrum at quarterback and why the team could go in nearly any direction to find an answer.
"Well, it's a quarterback, and it's a quarterback on a good team," Schefter explained on the Murph & Mac show, "so you're always curious as to how that's going to work out. I think they recognize that Jimmy does have some value, and I don't think it's a foregone conclusion by any stretch of the imagination that they would be moving on."
There could be options this offseason. Whether or not Shanahan feels they are better options is unclear. Matthew Stafford may want out of Detroit. Perhaps Atlanta moves on from its 35-year-old quarterback, Matt Ryan. Sam Darnold could find himself pushed out of New York and replaced by a rookie.
Maybe none of that matters and the 49ers stick with Garoppolo while adding a rookie behind him. Whatever Shanahan chooses, it will be a storyline that dominates the offseason.
"I think that they'll look at Jimmy," Schefter continued. "Jimmy is a viable, certifiable, starting quarterback in this league. They're 22-8 with him as a starter. They're 5-13 without him. So, they've been pretty good with him, and if they were going to move on, I think it would take some sort of compelling option, whatever that would be, and those are not easy to come by. So, I think there's definitely a chance that Jimmy could be back as the quarterback of this team."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Schefter below.