Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game felt like the end of Garoppolo's time with the 49ers, despite one more year remaining on his contract. This offseason is different, though. This offseason, there is no no-trade clause, something known for a long time but reiterated by NBC Sports Bay Area on Monday.
"Under terms of the contract, beginning on March 16 at 1 p.m. (PT), the 49ers can trade Garoppolo to any team without his prior written approval," reported Matt Maiocco. "An agreement of a trade can be reached prior to that date."
The 49ers are expected to transition from Garoppolo to Lance this offseason. What that means for Garoppolo remains unclear. He doesn't yet know where he will end up, but he'll likely have to get to know a new locker room this offseason.
"I love Jimmy," Shanahan said after the game via Kirk Larrabee. "I'm not going to sit here and make a farewell statement or anything right now. That's the last stuff on my mind. But Jimmy has battled his ass off. He battled today. He did some unbelievable things today, and I love coaching Jimmy."
The future looked bright when the 49ers pulled off a mid-season trade for Garoppolo in 2017. The quarterback won his five starts to close out the season. He went on to finish with a 31-14 record (35-16, including the playoffs) with San Francisco.
The real question becomes what the 49ers can acquire in exchange for Garoppolo, who was plagued by injuries and never lived up to the lofty expectations created in 2017,
Garoppolo, still dealing with the emotions of Sunday's heartbreaking loss, didn't want to speculate on his future.
"We'll see what happens in these next couple of days, weeks, whatever, but I love this team," Garoppolo said after the game. "The fight and the battle in this team throughout the entire year has been really impressive, and I love those guys."
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
NFL.com: When 49ers are clicking, they can beat anybody
The San Francisco 49ers enter the playoffs as a Wild-Card underdog against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. While NFL.com experts predict the Eagles will advance to the Divisional Round, the 49ers-Eagles matchup emerged as the toughest game to call from... -
49ers mailbag: Who will start at LB? Will Trent Williams, Ricky Pearsall play? How can SF score against Philly's defense?
It's postseason time, and the San Francisco 49ers are gearing up to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in the Wild Card round of the NFC playoffs. The team will fly to the East Coast for the matchup. And it won't be easy to come away with a win. The Eagles have a talented... -
49ers will travel to Philadelphia for NFC Wild Card Game on Jan 11
The San Francisco 49ers will travel to Philadelphia to play the defending Super Bowl Champion Eagles next weekend in the Wild Card round of the NFC playoffs. The 49ers are the 6th seed in the NFC, which means they will play a much tougher opening round game than if they had... -
San Francisco 49ers opponents for 2026 season announced
The 2026 opponents for the San Francisco 49ers have been announced. The 49ers finished third in the NFC West and will play a third-place schedule next season. The 49ers will have nine home games and will go on the road eight times. Here are the 2026 opponents: Home Las Vegas...