The San Francisco 49ers felt the chances of Jimmy Garoppolo remaining on the roster in 2022 were "slim to none." On Thursday, veteran quarterback admitted that returning wasn't on his mind either.
The 49ers had hoped to trade Garoppolo this offseason. However, the quarterback's March 8 shoulder surgery understandably derailed all trade talks. So after a long offseason of hoping that a need would materialize somewhere in the NFL, Garoppolo decided to return to the 49ers on a restructured one-year deal, serving as Trey Lance's backup.
Garoppolo spoke to the media for the first time since last season's playoffs, sharing why he opted to undergo shoulder surgery at such a critical time. Everyone felt that the quarterback's thumb might require surgery and that the shoulder injury he suffered in the playoffs would heal on its own.
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"It actually turned out the other way," Garoppolo said. "The thumb wasn't as serious as the shoulder was. ... [The thumb] really took care of itself, didn't need surgery or anything like that, so that was nice. But the shoulder, I really don't like to get surgery if I don't have to, so I was really in the thought of, 'I could rehab this thing. I played three or four games on it. Whatever. I think I can get through this.'
"After about three, four weeks of that, it wasn't happening; it wasn't working. We were like, 'Alright, we've got to get the surgery.' That's when we made that choice, and I'm happy the way it worked out. I don't think it was the exact way I wanted it to work out, but everything happens for a reason."
Garoppolo was well-aware that opting for surgery would negatively impact his trade value.
"You know in the back of your head that could happen, but you've got to take care of your body," Garoppolo shared. "If your body's not going to be able to go out there and perform, then what are you worth? So I had to get that taken care of. That was priority one, and the rest took care of itself, I think."
Garoppolo admits that this offseason was one of the stranger experiences of his career. He even briefly contemplated asking to be released. That was short-lived, though, and Garoppolo believes everything worked out for the best.
"Me, I'm happy with where I'm at," Garoppolo said. "Happy to be with the Niners. I think the Niners are happy to have me back. I think things are working out pretty well."
As for the shoulder, the quarterback is happy where it is now.
"Just with practice, every day will help a little bit more and more," Garoppolo said. "I'll just get more and more used to it, but I feel good with it. I feel very confident. I'm happy with where it's at."
