On the latest 49ers Talk podcast, Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan discussed Jimmy Garoppolo’s appearance at 49ers training camp and how the quarterback looked throwing the ball coming back from off-season surgery.
If the 49ers have been clear about one thing this offseason, it’s the team’s willingness to be patient with the Jimmy Garoppolo situation.
On Sunday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported, citing sources, that “no clear trade partner” has emerged for the veteran quarterback’s services at this point in training camp.
The 49ers clearly are moving on from Garoppolo to Trey Lance under center and will either trade or release the veteran before the 2022 NFL season begins.
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San Francisco’s preference is to trade Garoppolo, and the 49ers reportedly are fine hanging on to him until Aug. 30 when NFL teams slash rosters from 80 players down to 53, two days after the league's preseason schedule is complete.
“From my understanding, [the 49ers] are willing to wait all the way to cut-down day,” Rapoport reported on “Inside Training Camp.” “In fact, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for the 49ers to, let’s say, move on from Jimmy Garoppolo now because what if another quarterback gets hurt? It sounds like they are going to hold on to him as long as possible just to see if any trade market develops before eventually, and likely, moving on from him.”
For a trade partner to arrive at general manager John Lynch’s front door, an injury to another starting quarterback would need to arise. Or, perhaps a team with lack of talent at the position, like the division rival Seattle Seahawks with Drew Lock and Geno Smith battling for the starting job, will come calling if preseason games don't look promising.
Rapoport's report is consistent with what Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan have been saying all offseason. The three parties -- Shanahan, Lynch and Garoppolo appear to be aligned.
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“You can't just give [away] one of the better quarterbacks in the league just to make him available for no reason to the whole world,” Shanahan said in the opening days of camp. “And the good thing is you can have those conversations with Jimmy and he understands that, too, so we're going to try to do the best for both sides. But there's things we have to work through."
Garoppolo was cleared to begin throwing ahead of 49ers training camp. He's been seen throwing to the side of practice and giving high-fives to 49ers fans in between drills.
Whether Garoppolo leaves the Bay via trade or release, the 49ers will continue playing the Jimmy G waiting game.
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