49ers General Manager John Lynch said he has met with Jimmy Garoppolo since the season ended Sunday. Lynch expressed his admiration for the quarterback’s play and toughness this season.
All the team is committing to for now in regard to Garoppolo is “communicating in a straightforward manner” moving forward with him, Lynch said.
“If we knew exactly what was happening, we’d have told Jimmy,” coach Kyle Shanahan said, via David Lombardi of TheAthletic.com.
While it is expected the 49ers will trade Garoppolo in the offseason, they did not rule out keeping him for 2022. At least publicly. That only makes good business sense as they begin listening to offers for Garoppolo.
“There’s a lot of good options there. A lot of cards are on the table,” Shanahan said.
Shanahan said deciding Garoppolo’s future is a tough -- but enviable -- position for the team.
“In the two years that he’s played, he’s taken us to the Super Bowl and the NFC Championship Game,” he said.
The 49ers will hand the reins to Trey Lance, whom they drafted third overall last spring. While the 49ers are saying everything they have to say right now, the only question is where they will trade Garoppolo. Even he knows his future is elsewhere.