New San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will in all likelihood be the team’s starting quarterback next season. There’s even a chance the two sides will come to terms on a long-term extension here soon.
But first-year general manager John Lynch is making it his mission to quiet speculation that said contract will come before the end of the season.
Appearing on KNBR in the Bay Area Thursday night, Lynch noted that the 49ers and Garoppolo’s agent have not engaged in contract talks as of yet.
Lynch did go on to note that he has been in regular talks with Garoppolo’s agent, Don Yee. Just not about a specific extension.
“We talk to Don Yee, his representative, on a weekly basis. It’s kind of refreshing to talk to him because the way he’s dealt with Tom (Brady). A lot of people have learned he really wants these guys to go focus on their business and so we’ve agreed that there’s going to be a time for that,” Lynch said.
This pretty much mirrors what head coach Kyle Shanahan said earlier in the week (more on that here).
There’s really no reason for either side to expedite contract extension talks. Garoppolo will be in line to receive the franchise tag following the season That’ll guarantee him north of $20 million for the 2018 season. Based on how well he’s performed in limited action with both the Patriots and 49ers, it makes little sense for the youngster to take a less-than-stellar offer.
From a 49ers perspective, they don’t really face the threat of losing Garoppolo in the offseason. The team is already okay with handing him the franchise tag, at which point any other squad signing the quarterback would have to give San Francisco two first-round picks.
Garoppolo is 2-0 as a starter for the 49ers after they lost 10 of their first 11 games without him to start the season. He’s also passed for more yards than any other quarterback in franchise history through his first two starts (more on that here).
The good vibes are real in San Francisco. And no perceived contract stalemate is going to change that.