Getty Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers throws the ball during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on November 07, 2021.
While at the 2022 NFL Combine, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch provided a warranted update on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Garoppolo had surgery on his shoulder this week, which was expected. Since the end of the season, there was the possibility that Jimmy G would need surgery, but the news that it is now happening created buzz on a national level.
Lynch sat down with NFL Network’s Good Morning Football to talk about Garoppolo, QB Trey Lance, and the state of the offseason. While Lynch went into detail about the surgery, he also revealed the level of interest San Francisco is seeing from other teams in Jimmy G.
“So, [recovery from surgery will] take some time but he’s gonna be fine,” Lynch said while talking to Peter Schrager. “But we’re so fond of Jimmy. That situation is active, it’s fluid. You’re here, a lot of teams have interest in him and it’s pretty obvious, we put a lot into Trey Lance.”
Lynch doesn’t give too much detail, but the claim about having a lot of teams interested in Garoppolo does seem to confirm they’re moving on with Lance. That comment paired with a follow-up quote about Lance’s improvement bodes well for the 21-year-old quarterback.
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Lynch on Lance
During his appearance, Lynch was asked about Lance’s development, with Schrager bringing a comparison to the process Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes took. Mahomes also sat for the majority of his first NFL season, before exploding into stardom in the ensuing years.
From the perspective of The Athletic’s David Lombardi, his comments “all but guarantee” Lance is the starter in 2022.
“I think he’s just got that makeup that the great ones do,” Lynch said. “We can only hope that he can be Patrick Mahomes or anything close to that, but he’s gonna get his chance to go show that.”
John Lynch all but guaranteed Trey Lance is the 49ers’ planned starting QB for 2022 on @gmfb:
“I think he’s just got that makeup that the great ones do. We can only hope that he can be Patrick Mahomes or anything close to that, but he’s gonna get his chance to go show that.”
Lynch is careful not to jump the gun with praise for the young QB, because Mahomes does feel like a generational player. But if the 49ers’ process works as well as the Chiefs did, Lynch and San Francisco will be ready to compete for a long time.
Garoppolo Surgery Was Small Surprise
Another interesting tidbit from Lynch’s conversation was how Garoppolo’s surgery came as a surprise to both the QB and the 49ers. While there were reports that the 30-year-old could have surgery this offseason, Lynch explained it was a surprising development.
“We didn’t know and I don’t think Jimmy knew [that he would need surgery]. I think he’s made a decision here in the last couple of days,” Lynch said. “The shoulder — I never like saying ‘minor’ when someone’s having surgery, but it’s a capsule issue in the back of his shoulder that you can try to rehab. But if it doesn’t get well with the rehab, then you go to the alternative route. And that’s what they’ve decided to do. So it’s going to take some time and he’s going to be fine.”
Essentially, “Plan A” for Garoppolo’s shoulder didn’t go well. After rehab didn’t solve the issue, the 49ers QB had surgery and that may now affect the timeline for his trade.
However, Lynch downplaying the severity of the operation is encouraging, whether that helps Jimmy G get to his next destination sooner or not.