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Steve Young has used the term "fired" when describing how the San Francisco 49ers treated Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason. By that, the Hall of Fame quarterback meant that the team had no intention of bringing the quarterback back. Instead, Trey Lance had replaced him.
Garoppolo stuck on the roster throughout the offseason, though. The 49ers couldn't trade him after the quarterback underwent shoulder surgery. There had been rumors of some resentment between player and team. However, Garoppolo admits that once he was forced on the field after Lance's season-ending injury, there wasn't time to think about anything other than playing football.
General manager John Lynch respects Young but doesn't necessarily like the use of the term "fired" when describing the offseason situation with Garoppolo.
"We did make a decision to go make a bold move for a young quarterback," Lynch said on KNBR's
Murph & Mac show. "I think, at the end of the day, what served us well, and what served Jimmy well, is that we were always honest with each other. I think the relationship had good roots because it was always based on telling each other the truth. And as things progressed, we kept doing that.
"... While there might be resentment at times, first of all, Jimmy's [not only] handling it well now. He's handled it well throughout. Again, I've talked [about it] so many times, but my admiration for him, the way he handled the situation last year with Trey in the room, and how good he's been to Trey, I think it speaks volumes for who he is."
Unable to find a trade partner this offseason, the 49ers opted to bring Garoppolo back on a restructured one-year deal. Many questioned the move, but in hindsight, it may have saved San Francisco's season. The Garoppolo storyline shifted from "Why can't the 49ers get rid of him?" to "Thank goodness the 49ers kept him around."
Garoppolo was in Santa Clara when the 49ers started training camp. He wasn't practicing with his teammates, though, since the team still hoped to trade the quarterback. Garoppolo wasn't even involved in team meetings and didn't have a playbook.
If it had been up to Garoppolo, he wouldn't have been in Santa Clara at all during his recovery.
"
I would have stayed down in L.A. because I was in a good spot in rehab," Garoppolo said last week. "We had a good thing going, things like that. They wanted me up here. The side field was my best friend during training camp."
Garoppolo did as requested, not knowing how the situation would eventually unfold. Now, he is the starter for the remainder of the 2022 season.
"Tough situation. I get it," Lynch said. "Showed up at camp, did his work. He's always done that too. He always goes about his work. He got himself prepared to play for us or whoever it was going to be. It was incredible. You just kind of threw him in there, and on day one, he looked pretty darn good. Jimmy's got that ability to go do that, and he's playing at a really high level.
"Last week was an interesting game in that we were in a lot of third-and-longs, and Jimmy just converted at a really high level. He's really in sync with all of his guys right now. He's playing very poised football, and he's leading this football team. And we're happy to have him. I can't say enough great things about Jimmy Garoppolo."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
John Lynch clung to hope that safety Talanoa Hufanga hadn't sustained a severe injury during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unfortunately, fears were confirmed when it was revealed that Hufanga had torn his ACL and would miss the remainder of the season.
"I went in and saw him in the locker room after," Lynch said Tuesday morning on Bay Area radio station KNBR's "Murph and Mac" show. "He was still hanging on to hope. I was trying to, but unfortunately, that wasn't in the cards."
The silver lining is that the 49ers had a contingency plan. Rookie Ji'Ayir Brown, drafted in the third round, seamlessly stepped into Hufanga's position alongside Tashaun Gipson, demonstrating his NFL readiness.
"First of all, with Huf, I mean, those
Heading into last year's draft, doubts swirled around Brock Purdy's arm strength, with heightened concern following surgery this past offseason to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing arm.
Would Purdy be ready for the start of the regular season? Would he be able to get the football downfield to his receivers?
Those questions were answered, punctuated on Sunday by Purdy's 76-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, marking the longest throw of the quarterback's career.
PURDY TO AIYUK. 76-YARD TOUCHDOWN.📺:
It's Thanksgiving, a time for gratitude and reflection. San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, reflecting on the season, is grateful for the opportunity to shape one of the NFL's most competitive rosters, one with lofty Super Bowl hopes.
Lynch is also grateful for the emergence of quarterback Brock Purdy. The team waited until last year's final draft pick to acquire him, and the move has paid significant dividends. Purdy entered last season buried in the depth chart but took over the starting job after injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Lance never relinquished that starting job.
"Well, I'm thankful for all our players," Lynch told NBC Sports Bay Area as the 49ers prepare for a Thanksgiving showdown with the division-rival Seattle
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is making waves this season, putting up impressive numbers with 43 receptions for 831 yards and four touchdowns. The fourth-year player earned a career-high 156 receiving yards on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including a remarkable 76-yard touchdown catch.
PURDY TO AIYUK. 76-YARD TOUCHDOWN.📺: #TBvsSF on FOX📱: Stream on #NFLPlus
