Jimmy Garoppolo joined CBS Sports Radio's The DA Show on Tuesday morning and, as he did last week, provided an update on his shoulder. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback underwent surgery on March 8. General manager John Lynch shared that Garoppolo is expected to throw again in June.
"I think the progress is good," Lynch said on Monday. "So he's tracking kind of right where we said—throwing towards the end of June and ramping it up from there. So, that's where that's at."
Whether or not that means throwing for the 49ers remains to be seen. Ideally, the team would like to trade Garoppolo and transition to second-year quarterback Trey Lance, last year's No. 3 overall pick. Of course, no one is lining up to trade for an injured quarterback who cannot throw, so Garoppolo remains on the roster.
Last season, Garoppolo played through multiple injuries during the playoffs, including the shoulder. He also played through a torn ligament in his right thumb.
"F--k, it hurts," Garoppolo admitted in January. "I don't know how else to describe it. It feels like the web in your hand is kind of tearing a little bit. That's probably the best way I can describe it."
It wasn't enough to sideline the veteran quarterback, who admits he knew how special a season the 49ers were having. The team knocked off two division winners in the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, before falling just short against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
During the interview on The DA Show, Garoppolo was asked just how hurt he really was during that impressive playoff run.
"Not hurt enough to keep me from playing," Garoppolo responded (h/t 95.7 The Game). "I wanted to be out there with my guys. I knew the type of year that we were having. Shoulder's feeling good, though. It's been a very productive offseason, gotten a lot done, and we're moving in the right direction. That's for sure."
The quarterback is taking his rehab one day at a time. Once recovered, he can begin preparing for the 2022 season, whether with San Francisco or elsewhere.
"I wish I could say I was [100 percent] now, but we're working toward it," Garoppolo said. "I think we'll have a better idea down the road. We'll get into summertime and start throwing, things like that. But, right now, we're just trying to get back to the basics. Get this thing feeling right, get all the swelling out of there, things like that."
Does Garoppolo expect to be 100 percent by the start of the season?
"Oh yeah, absolutely," he responded. "It will be a process, but I knew that. I've gone through ACL surgery, so it's nothing that I haven't been through before."
No interview would be complete without asking about disgruntled wide receiver Deebo Samuel. The 49ers would love to sign their do-everything player to a contract extension. That's a challenge if the player doesn't want anything to do with you. Samuel has reportedly requested a trade.
Garoppolo knows what a player of Samuel's stature means to an NFL offense and team.
"That dude's different, man," Garoppolo said. "He's so unique in what he can do on the field. I've known Deebo since he was a rookie, and I've seen him grow, the leader that he's become. He's really been a tone-setter for our whole team in practice, in the game, wherever it is. That dude just sets the tone, and he lets the other team know what type of game it's going to be, and I think that runs throughout the whole team. It starts with him and trickles down. But I think it's only a matter of time until he gets his whole thing figured out. But that'll take care of itself."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Garoppolo below.
