San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch told KNBR this past Monday that the organization appeared close to trading starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo earlier in the offseason, but those talks came to a screeching halt when the decision was made for the 30-year old signal-caller to have surgery on his injured shoulder.
Lynch later mentioned that the team continued to have dialogue surrounding Garoppolo during the NFL Draft, but it appeared teams were hoping to secure his services at a discounted price. Lynch also mentioned that teams typically don't rush out to trade for a player following surgery until they know they've made a full recovery. To me, it almost felt like teams were hoping to acquire the savvy veteran for a third-day draft pick. Garoppolo may not be elite, but he certainly shouldn't be found on the bargain annex rack quite yet.
Lynch also stated that the organization is prepared to have both quarterbacks on the roster moving forward.
There is no logical reason for the San Francisco 49ers to rush a deal for Jimmy Garoppolo
Listen, we all hope that second-year quarterback Trey Lance is the real deal, knowing how much the organization has invested in the North Dakota State product, but he needs to prove himself this summer.
The 49ers are built to win right now, especially if they can rekindle their relationship with star receiver Deebo Samuel. Until Lance proves he can be the consistent playmaker we believe he will be, why not hold onto Garoppolo?
Although the 49ers were unable to win the Super Bowl, Garoppolo has proven he can do enough to get the organization to the big dance. He's a middle-of-the-road quarterback that is serviceable. Last season Garoppolo completed 68% of his passes, totaling 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also led the league in 2021 with 12.7 yards per completion.
I agree with the approach Lynch is taking with Garoppolo; he's set the price, and if no one is willing to meet it, the 49ers will simply keep the veteran quarterback in their back pocket. In a perfect world, Lance proves that he's the clear-cut starter over the summer, and the 49ers can trade Garoppolo for draft capital in 2023.
Garoppolo isn't owed any more guaranteed money, so the 49ers could release him with basically no penalty, but why? He's valuable to this team as long as he's willing to be a good soldier.
If a trade doesn't materialize, the 49ers can rest easy knowing they've got one of the better back-ups waiting in the wings if Lance sputters or an injury occurs. We know one thing, Garoppolo proved last season that he's a tremendous teammate, and I don't see him being a distraction if he's still around come Week One of the regular season.