With all signs pointing towards Jimmy Garoppolo having played his last game with the 49ers, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco lists the teams he thinks may want to trade for the QB.
General manager John Lynch and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan are not in a position to give quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo any assurances on the 2022 season.
On Tuesday, however, they could give him a guarantee.
They will keep him completely in the loop with whatever the offseason has to offer.
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“The commitment was just that we’re going to communicate as we always have,” Lynch said in a season-ending video call with Bay Area reporters. “We’re going to be completely up front and honest.”
Lynch said he and Shanahan are in the evaluation stage of the offseason, as the season ended Sunday with a 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. The plan for the 2022 season will unfold over time.
“And while we talk all the time, the season just ended and so we got a lot to think about with our team in general and certainly at that position,” Lynch said. “And the commitment was that everything we do will be communicated in a very straight-forward manner as I think we’ve always done with him.”
When the 49ers made the trade for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, they contacted Garoppolo before the news of the deal became public. The 49ers selected quarterback Trey Lance as the heir apparent at quarterback.
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Garoppolo had a no-trade clause for the 2021 season. He will likely be afforded the opportunity to seek a trade, so that any team interested in him can negotiate a contract extension beyond the 2022 season.
“If we knew exactly what was happening, we would’ve told Jimmy,” Shanahan said. “This season just ended and we have a great young quarterback who was a rookie. And we have a great quarterback here who is a veteran.”
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Shanahan pointed out the fact that in the two seasons in which Garoppolo remained healthy enough to play most of the games, the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl in 2019 and the NFC Championship Game in the other.
“I have the ultimate respect for Jimmy,” Shanahan said. “I’m very excited about Trey. And that’s where we’re at right now. Jimmy’s made it a lot harder. He stayed healthy and he played like he is capable playing, which to me is one of the better quarterbacks in this league.
“So we’re in a tough situation — not a tough situation. You’re in a situation where you got to make some tough decisions. It won’t be easy, but I’m happy about that.”