Jimmy Garoppolo and his over $25 million salary remain a part of the San Francisco 49ers. That obviously was not Plan A for the team. General manager John Lynch and the Niners would have liked to trade the veteran quarterback by now. That didn't happen, though.
Lynch, speaking with reporters at the NFL owners meetings, insists Garoppolo remaining with the 49ers hasn't derailed the team's offseason plans as many expected it to do. San Francisco wasn't very aggressive in free agency. However, Lynch told the media that was always the plan and had nothing to do with Garoppolo.
"We had to do some (contract) conversions and things like that for free agency to free up some cap room but for people who think that maybe our free-agency plans were derailed by that, this was our plan all along," Lynch said via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. "We've kind of had an all-gas mentality since we've been here, so there needed to be a come to balance for us in free agency.
"We knew we were gonna have one big bite, that was our (cornerback signing) and we're thrilled with Charvarius (Ward) and his addition. I'm really proud of our staff because we really searched long and hard to where we felt we could improve as a team, and I think we made a bunch of targeted signings on good football players who fit us and I think will bolster some of our weaknesses as we saw it."
Those targeted signings were players like wide receiver and return man Ray-Ray McCloud, safety George Odum, linebacker Oren Burks, and defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway. Defensive end Kerry Hyder even returned after a year with the Seattle Seahawks.
Lynch believes these moves have set the 49ers up for success in 2022.
As for Garoppolo, the general manager isn't ready to dismiss the possibility that the veteran quarterback could remain with the 49ers in 2022—even as a backup—if the team can't find a trade partner. Lynch revealed that the 49ers don't foresee releasing Garoppolo.
"We can [keep Garoppolo], and like I said, we have prepared for this all along," Lynch said. "It's not easy, but we'll get creative, and we'll figure it out."
Lynch admitted that many of the teams they had been communicating with about a potential trade have gone in other directions to fill their quarterback needs. For others, the sense of urgency has diminished.
"But there's still a want and need for a quarterback of his level of success in our league," Lynch continued. "That's coveted by the entire league, and so we'll continue to listen and see if we figure something out. If not, we're comfortable moving forward with him."
Might fans have to brace themselves for a training camp battle between Garoppolo and Lance? That's something that seemed unthinkable not too long ago.
"We've got a lot of time, and we've talked about a lot of things," Lynch responded. "But I do know that competition brings out the best in people. I think it did for both of them last year. And I would expect that would be the case going forward."
As for the report from Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio that Lynch was telling teams the 49ers had an offer of two second-round draft picks on the table for Garoppolo, the general manager shot down the rumor.
"I won't get into my conversations with other GMs, but that's not true," Lynch declared, adding that the 49ers never received a firm offer for Garoppolo.
Lynch did confirm that the 49ers have given Garoppolo and his agent permission to seek a trade themselves.