The idea that the San Francisco 49ers are likely to trade Jimmy Garoppolo in the offseason will come as a surprise to no one. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, San Francisco plans to trade their starting quarterback unless the team surprises and makes a Super Bowl run. Of course, that was probably always the plan. However, last week, Garoppolo and head coach Kyle Shanahan left the door open for the quarterback to potentially return in 2022.
"I think there's a chance for anything," Shanahan said on Wednesday when asked about Garoppolo's potential future with the 49ers. "But I think we've made it pretty clear that Trey's our guy of the future, whenever that will happen."
Rapoport, speaking Sunday on NFL GameDay Morning, said Garoppolo's increased value over the last four games might actually make the 49ers' decision to part with the quarterback easier.
"Absent a Super Bowl run, which at this point is still theoretically possible, this is the 49ers' plan next season: start Trey Lance, trade Jimmy Garoppolo," Rapoport said via NFL.com. "Not a surprise there, they've been pretty up front about that. What Garoppolo is doing now is increasing the value of picks the 49ers get in a trade involving him, and they make it more likely that a place he wants to go would want to take him."
Garoppolo has played well in recent weeks. Over the last four games, he has passed for 1,006 yards, six touchdowns, one interception, and owns a passer rating of 113.2. Parting ways with the quarterback would make the No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, the de facto starter in 2022, ushering in a new era for the Bay Area team.
As with Shanahan, Garoppolo isn't ready to dismiss the possibility of remaining with the 49ers in 2022. Although, he is more focused on the team's current run.
"Honestly, with the possibilities, I try not to close any doors too early," Garoppolo said on Wednesday. "It's one of those situations, you've just got to let it play out, I think. We've got a lot going on with the season and everything right now. If you start thinking about those other things, you just get distracted, I think. But when we cross that bridge, we'll assess everything then."