GETTY GREEN BAY, Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on January 22, 2022.
The San Francisco 49ers are on to the NFC Championship, but the future of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is still up in the air.
Ever since the Niners drafted rookie quarterback Trey Lance with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, there’s been non-stop speculation about the long-term future of Jimmy G. It’s expected that the team will trade him after this season, as the NFL’s Ian Rapoport has reported.
On Monday, Rapoport went on Bay Area station KNBR to chat about the 49ers after Saturday’s thrilling 13-10 win over the Green Bay Packers. The NFL reporter offered an update on Garoppolo and the Niners, although it sounds like not much has changed.
“I hate to sound like a broken record, but I kind of see it to where it was,” Rapoport said. “Unless I’m missing something, I haven’t seen anything that has changed where this is all going, which is with Trey Lance eventually being the franchise guy. Garoppolo is the starter now, and I would say not everything goes according to plan in life, in football, in everything, but this kind of has been the 49ers’ plan.”
The Niners are looking shrewd with how they have played this quarterback situation, and Rapoport went on to explain that he thinks they’re going to get rewarded whether this playoff run ends in a Super Bowl or not.
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Garoppolo’s Trade Value Going Up?
Jimmy G has been far from perfect in the past few weeks, but the 49ers keep winning. Despite not throwing for a touchdown in either playoff game, Garoppolo has completed some key passes and “done enough” to set up a trip to the NFC Championship.
But is that enough to make San Francisco reconsider their plans? Rapoport doesn’t think so.
“They thought before the season they had a playoff-ready roster and that Garoppolo was the best person to get them to the playoffs,” Rapoport said. “That happened. He is the best person to be in the playoffs with them. This has happened. And then, after the season, I would imagine they take a hard long look at it and say, ‘Has Jimmy Garoppolo done anything to change our mind that Trey Lance is the future starter?’ My guess is the answer is, ‘No.'”
While there still may be a break-up between Garoppolo and the Niners, Rapoport says that everyone should still walk away happy.
“It’s OK because everyone’s going to be fine Garoppolo, assuming they go through with a trade, is going to end up great. He’s going to make some money. Trey Lance is going to be great. He’ll be the starter at some point. And then everybody will move forward, and that’s a pretty good transition if you ask me.”
Garoppolo Revealed ‘Calmness’ in Green Bay
The 49ers were in a bad way at the near halfway point of the Divisional Round win at Lambeau Field. After -13 yards on the first four drives, Garoppolo threw an interception toward the end zone after the offense finally moved the ball.
The first of two big special teams plays for the Niners followed, with Packers K Mason Crosby’s kick being blocked to end the half. Despite the poor start, Garoppolo said he didn’t lose faith thanks to his defense.
“There was a calmness, honestly,” Garoppolo said, per NBC Sports. “It was probably midway through the first or second [quarter] that I realized it was going to be that type of game. They got off to a good start with that first drive, but our defense was playing great. There’s just a feel to the game. Even when they had the lead, I felt like we were in control of the game, as crazy as that sounds.”
It took longer than 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan probably would’ve liked, but Garoppolo and the Niners offense rose to the occasion at the end of the game to set up San Francisco K Robbie Gould’s game-winner.