Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers are slated to open camp on Tuesday. They won’t have incumbent starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on hand in Santa Clara.
Garoppolo underwent off-season shoulder surgery and was just cleared to practice. At the very same time, San Francisco gave the Super Bowl signal caller permission to seek a trade.
The obvious backdrop here is the presence of second-year quarterback Trey Lance as San Francisco’s likely Week 1 starter. It’s been a foregone conclusion that the 49ers would move off Garoppolo in favor of a youngster that they exhausted three first-round pick on in the 2021 NFL Draft.
In speaking with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic recently, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan seemed to all but confirm that reality.
“Had an awesome run with Jimmy. But when you bring in the cap and things like that, there’s just so many tough decisions you have to make…Jimmy will be in a good spot, most likely somewhere else.”
San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan on Jimmy Garoppolo
Shanahan and general manager John Lynch will hold their annual training camp press conference on Tuesday. We’re sure the two will touch on this even more when pressed by reporters.
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San Francisco 49ers could be forced to release Jimmy Garoppolo
Garoppolo, 30, was excused from off-season activities as he rehabbed from the aforementioned shoulder surgery. Even then, his presence would have been awkward given the dynamics at play here. There’s no reason to believe that Jimmy GQ will be on hand during training camp.
The backdrop here is a lack of a true market for the veteran quarterback. Pretty much every quarterback-needy team filled out that spot during the offseason. Right now, the division-rival Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants have been linked to Garoppolo the most.
At issue here is Garoppolo’s $24.2 million cap hit for an acquiring team and his injury-plagued ways. While the veteran could work out a restructured deal with a team, that complicates things a bit further.
- Jimmy Garoppolo stats (2021): 68% completion, 3,810 yards, 20 TD, 12 INT, 98.7 QB rating
Perhaps, the Cleveland Browns once again kick the tires on this possibility. We’re set to find out how long Deshaun Watson will be suspended for following allegations from north of 20 women of sexual misconduct.
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If the NFL gets its way, Watson would face a year-long ban. Under that scenario, the San Francisco 49ers might be able to take advantage of Cleveland’s desperation by demanding something of substance in return.
But as it stands, the market has dried up for Garoppolo. Based on Shanahan’s comments, San Francisco has already moved on from him. With Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa set for potential record-breaking contract extensions this summer, the sooner San Francisco moves on from Garoppolo the better.
That’s the harsh reality of the situation.