Jimmy Garoppolo's time with the 49ers was filled with ups and downs, best summarized by a tendency for injuries and one heartbreaking Super Bowl loss.
And while there were plenty of wins along the way, it wasn't always smooth sailing between the quarterback and the team -- from Garoppolo practicing on a side field last summer as he awaited a trade that never came to his final weeks with the team reportedly ending on a sour note.
Now that the 49ers also have moved on from Garoppolo's former heir apparent Trey Lance, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the new Las Vegas Raiders signal-caller provided a spicy take on his interesting tenure with San Francisco -- sort of.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"Weird situation," Garoppolo told Sports Illustrated's Robin Lundberg of the 49ers trading Lance to the Dallas Cowboys, before possibly alluding to his own years in the Bay. "Been a lot of weird situations over there in San Francisco, just leave it at that.
"But, you know, I'm happy Trey got another shot, man."
The 49ers surrendered major draft capital to move up and select Lance in 2021, with the thought he eventually would replace Garoppolo as the team's starting quarterback. Injuries, a lack of development and 2022 draft pick Brock Purdy's rise last season pushed Lance out of the mix, and the 23-year-old asked if the 49ers could trade him when he learned he would be No. 3 on the depth chart this season.
San Francisco 49ers
The team has come under fire by some in recent days as the NFL world considers the substantial organizational failure that resulted in Lance being traded. Both coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have taken responsibility for the situation, and the 49ers were able to recoup a fourth-round pick from the Cowboys in exchange for Lance.
Now that Lance is in Dallas, and considering his own respective experience on the team, Garoppolo was asked his opinion on how the 49ers have handled their quarterback situations.
"How do you think they've handled them?" Garoppolo countered with a laugh.
"I think it's been messy," Lundberg said. "I'll put it that way."
"Been mes -- yeah, that's a nice way to put it," Garoppolo concluded.
Garoppolo didn't divulge much, but his answer still spoke volumes.
And while he's on a new journey in Las Vegas, Garoppolo certainly seems happy for Lance and his new chance to succeed in Dallas.