John Lynch joined NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on 49ers Talk from the NFL Scouting Combine where he stated that he’d be “happy” if Jimmy Garoppolo returned and could compete with Trey Lance for the starting QB job.
INDIANAPOLIS — Jimmy Garoppolo’s toughness during the 49ers' 2021 NFL playoff run impressed one of the hardest-hitting safeties in league history.
John Lynch, who was known for his incredibly aggressive style of play in the NFL spoke to local media at the NFL Scouting Combine and shared how the 49ers quarterback impressed him during the postseason.
“You know what blows my mind on the thumb, he missed one game,” Lynch said on Wednesday. “I’ve been through injuries and you can get there by Sunday. But Kyle told him, and I don’t blame Kyle, ‘You got to practice on Wednesday for us to play you.’”
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The 49ers quarterback didn’t just go out a throw a few passes, which surprised the general manager. Garoppolo, of his own volition, went above and beyond Lynch’s expectations.
"Usually you give a guy like that until Friday but we weren’t in position to have any gray,” Lynch said. “So Jimmy went out there and I know it was killing him on a Wednesday and took every snap. At first, we were going to limit him to 10 throws or something but he wasn’t having that.”
Garoppolo shared with the media how much pain he was feeling every time he threw the ball with his injured thumb and that wasn’t the only injury the quarterback fought through during the season.
While trying to protect his thumb in the NFC Wildcard Round against the Dallas Cowboys Garoppolo was tackled, landing heavily on his throwing shoulder. The impact on the turf caused a capsule injury on his throwing shoulder that will be repaired by surgery in the coming days.
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The recovery for Garoppolo’s shoulder is projected to be four months allowing the quarterback to start throwing the ball again near the end of June, in time for training camp. The general manager believes that the nature of the repair will not be a deterrent to other teams’ potential interest in the quarterback.
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If nothing else, Garoppolo’s ability to fight through multiple injuries throughout the postseason should be a positive for interested franchises. The veteran quarterback had the full support of the 49ers locker room and front office since his arrival in Santa Clara.
“I’ve always known his toughness,” Lynch said. “But my appreciation for that, and I think everyone’s, what he went through during that playoff run was really remarkable.”