SANTA CLARA -- When Jimmy Garoppolo last spoke to the Bay Area media, he delivered a farewell message.
On Thursday, he was back in the press conference room at Levi’s Stadium — shockingly, still a member of the 49ers.
Garoppolo’s strange offseason took an unexpected turn on Monday, when he agreed to accept a $17.2 million pay cut to remain with the 49ers on a contract that expires at the end of the season.
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Garoppolo returns to the team as the No. 2 quarterback behind Trey Lance after serving as the team's starter since his arrival in the middle of the 2017 season.
“It was weird,” Garoppolo said, describing his state of limbo. “It was different than any situation I’ve been in. And I’ve been in some weird ones, too, so that’s saying something.”
Garoppolo likely was to be traded at the beginning of the new league year in mid-March, but he opted to undergo shoulder surgery. The four-month rehabilitation period brought an end to all serious trade talks.
General manager John Lynch said he felt as if he was making progress with two or three teams in serious trade talks before Garoppolo underwent surgery.
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Garoppolo reported to training camp with the 49ers and took part in a throwing program at the team's practice facility to rebuild strength in his arm. Still, he said he did not believe he would be remaining with the 49ers this season.
“Really, it wasn’t on my mind, to be completely honest,” Garoppolo said. “I was training out here. I had to be here, so I was here for that reason.
“I was just trying to get my body right, get my shoulder right. I felt very confident out there, and I knew I was ready to roll. I just needed to figure out where. Things kind of fell into place these last couple days, just before it all happened.”
Garoppolo said after trade talks dried up, he considered asking the 49ers to grant him his release so he would be free to pick his next team without any restrictions.
But he decided to remain quiet and let the situation play out.
“That just wasn’t the way I wanted to go,” Garoppolo said of the possibility of a trade request. “There was a thought of that at one point. Trust me, there was. But that came and went.
“I don’t know. Things just kept falling into place. I’m one of those people that, you know, I don’t want to ruffle feathers too much here and there. I want to go with the flow and that’s kind of the way training camp was going, and I was happy with it. Things worked out. I’m happy now.”
Garoppolo said he was in communication with different teams with needs at quarterback. He had control over where he played this season because of the necessity of working with any team on a new contract.
He said he felt the 49ers offered him the best situation to place himself in position for a starting job in 2023.
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Garoppolo listed the reasons he decided to remain with the 49ers, including his familiarity with the organization, the offensive system, the coaches and his teammates.
“Seeing the other opportunities that were out there, you weigh the pros and cons of everything — trust me,” he said. “There was a lot of back and forth going on with other teams and what I wanted my future to look like.
“So this is what I wanted. I’m happy with the way it worked out.”
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