Deebo Samuel has overshadowed several San Francisco 49ers-related offseason storylines. One of those is the situation surrounding quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who the 49ers are trying to trade.
Earlier today, Garoppolo told Sirius XM NFL Radio that he "definitely" expects to be ready for training camp at the end of July. The quarterback underwent shoulder surgery on March 8 and isn't expected to be cleared to throw until July.
"I'm pretty happy with where I'm at," Garoppolo said.
The quarterback admits that his rehabilitation from surgery has helped with the uncertainty of this offseason.
"With rehab, you've got to stay so locked in, just every day, focusing on these little victories, trying to get one percent better each day," Garoppolo told Rob Maaddi of the AP Pro Football Podcast as part of a separate interview. "And I think it just keeps you focused because there's a lot of hearsay, a lot of situations that you can create in your own head, and just drive yourself crazy. I try to avoid that and just stay where I'm at right now."
Garoppolo is 33-14 as a starter in his NFL career. If not for the surgery, he might have found a new NFL home by now. At this point, the quarterback-needy teams that could have been interested in trading for Garoppolo have already made moves for other quarterbacks. What does Garoppolo think about possibly having to compete for a starting job—whether with the 49ers or elsewhere?
"Honestly, I've always been a fan of competition," Garoppolo responded. "I think it brings out the best in everybody, myself included. It's kind of what we did in San Francisco [last] year, and we got some pretty good results from it.
"Whenever there's competition, I'm always for it. I welcome it. But everybody's got a unique situation in the NFL. It's been a crazy offseason for a lot of people, so I'm not the only one in that boat. But you've just got to take it in stride. It's your story, and you've got to make it the way you want to be."
