Getty Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers prepares to take the field with teammates before the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on January 30, 2022 in Inglewood, California.
It appears as if Jimmy Garoppolo’s time as the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers is drawing to a close.
Since the Niners drafted Trey Lance as the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, NFL media insider Ian Rapoport has been reporting that San Francisco planning to trade Jimmy G this offseason. Per the insider’s recent NFL Network appearance addressing Garoppolo, San Francisco’s plan has not changed.
However, that plan may need adjusting. Rapoport stated that Garoppolo is set to have surgery immediately as soon as possible, and Rapoport says that may prompt a slower start to trade talks with potential suitors.
“Well, the number one most important thing for Jimmy Garoppolo is to get healthy,” Rapoport said. “It has been a lot. It’s the thumb, it’s the shoulder. It sounded like every single time he threw the ball, it was pain in his thumb, a torn ligament. He’s expected to have surgery, really, as soon as it can be scheduled, to begin the healing process. Probably, you’re looking at about 4-6 weeks of recovery. He’ll recover long in time before the season, but as far as when the actual trade will be, teams may want to wait until they are 100 percent sure that he is fine following surgery.”
From NFL Now: First order of business for Jimmy G is surgery. Then it’s the future.
If Garoppolo getting healthy is the first step, the next step will have to be looking for potential suitors that make sense for the Niners, Jimmy G and the team trading for him. Rapoport doesn’t think that will be a problem.
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Jimmy G and San Francisco Will Have to Work Together
The 49ers and Garoppolo seem to have a good relationship, and as Rapoport points out, they both want to make a trade happen that is mutually beneficial. Being in tandem is great for Jimmy G to get somewhere he actually wants to be, while working together will help the Niners get the best value.
“The likelihood is that Jimmy Garoppolo has played his last down with the San Francisco 49ers,” Rapoport continued in his update. “And this is the best-case scenario for everyone. For the 49ers, he played well, he took them deep into the playoffs, this is a guy whose stock is probably as high as it’s been. And for Garoppolo, of course, they drafted his successor last year, so he knew he was on the way out.”
The Niners will hope that his performances were strong enough this season to warrant a big return, but the market is a bit of an unknown. The biggest thing working against San Francisco is Jimmy G’s huge contract, which is set to pay him close to $25 million next year per Spotrac. That cap hit plus a desire to resign him to a contract will be a huge factor.
“He now could be instrumental in helping pick where he goes because he is likely going to need a new contract wherever he goes. So I’m sure both sides can come together and come to a solution that everybody will be happy with.”
Garoppolo Reflects on Final Game
It’s hard for players to emotionally process a season-ending loss like the 49ers suffered. It’s even tougher when it’s likely the last game you’ll play with a team, as Garoppolo is experiencing.
After the game, the 49ers quarterback was asked about those feelings and if it really struck him that this could be it. As Heavy covered, Garoppolo’s response made it clear it’s starting to set in, although it’s tough to swallow.
“[Losses] hit pretty hard in the locker room. I think in these next couple of days, it’ll start to settle in a little bit,” Garoppolo said. “Emotions ride after every game — win or loss. It’s just one of those things where you’ve got to be glad it happened and smile from it and think about the good things… We’ll see what happens in these next couple of days, weeks or whatever.”