Chances are, Jimmy Garoppolo will be moving on from the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. The 49ers’ quarterback for the past six seasons is now set for unrestricted free agency at the age of 31, and his track record will likely make him a top candidate to land a starting QB job elsewhere.
Compound Garoppolo’s value with the fact that the 49ers already have two potential future QBs on the roster with Trey Lance and 2022 sensation Brock Purdy, and all signs point to a split this offseason.
While Garoppolo’s return to the team was already a surprise this past season, once Lance suffered a season-ending injury, plans quickly changed. Once again, Jimmy G stepped into the starting lineup and proceeded to lead his team to victory, going 7-3 in ten starts.
But once Garoppolo got hurt too, then came Purdy, who posted similar numbers while going 5-0 in his first taste of NFL action. As the NFC Conference Championship game approached, Garoppolo’s ankle started to improve to the point where he may be able to practice with the team soon, yet that time never came.
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Kyle Shanahan seemingly grew tired of Jimmy Garoppolo’s injuries
Once the season ended, coach Kyle Shanahan noted that he didn’t see “any scenario” where Garoppolo would be back in a 49ers uniform in 2023, which, considering the team’s other options, came as no surprise. Yet, others began to speculate if there was a deeper issue at play between Garoppolo and his head coach of the past six seasons.
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic did some digging and came away convinced that the relationship between coach and QB did sour leading up to the 49ers’ matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
But Kawakami wasn’t able to place a source or a reason for their seemingly suddenly strayed interactions. His best guess was rooted in the fact that their relationship was never very strong, to begin with. Once injuries continued to plague Garoppolo, it became tough for Shanahan to rely on his QB remaining in the starting lineup.
Not to mention, the team practically made the decision to move on from Garoppolo the moment Lance was selected in 2021, in which Garoppolo was never even expected to be on San Francisco’s roster in 2023, to begin with.
Yet, the team’s inability to find a proper trade partner, combined with Garoppolo’s offseason shoulder injury, presented complications, which inevitably led to the QB making a few more starts for the 49ers. Chances are, they will be his last with this franchise.