The 49ers continue to play the Jimmy Garoppolo waiting game.
But as Tuesday's final roster cut-down day approaches, is there a possibility that -- after spending the entire offseason pondering his next destination -- Garoppolo stays with the 49ers?
"The 49ers are going to have to decide whether or not they are willing to keep -- yes, keep -- Jimmy Garoppolo," NFL insider Adam Schefter said on ESPN's "NFL Live" on Thursday. "And Jimmy Garoppolo is going to have to decide whether he’s willing to restructure his contract and stay in San Francisco, or whether he wants to move on and become a free agent. Both sides are going to have a say in how this works out. It might just be that the best scenario is for both sides to work together to stay together for this year, so that the 49ers can have a capable No. 2 quarterback backing up Trey Lance."
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If Garoppolo did remain with San Francisco for the final year of his contract, the 49ers likely would receive a compensatory draft pick next offseason when he finds a new home.
But one obvious downside to Garoppolo potentially restructuring his deal and staying with San Francisco would be having the veteran quarterback lurking on the bench, especially when Lance hits the expected growing pains that come along with being a young NFL quarterback.
Schefter dismissed those issues.
"No. 1, the team knows it is Trey Lance’s team. If you keep Jimmy Garoppolo, everyone knows it is as a No. 2 quarterback," Schefter said. "It gives the 49ers the depth behind basically a rookie quarterback, and it gives Jimmy Garoppolo maybe his best option if, again, both sides agree to do that."
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Entering Thursday's preseason finale against the Houston Texans, Nate Sudfeld appears ready to serve as Lance's backup this season, with rookie quarterback Brock Purdy also fighting for a roster spot. Garoppolo still is expected to be released or traded by the start of the season.
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"Earlier in the offseason, the 49ers would have traded him, but he had the shoulder surgery," Schefter said. "He wasn’t healthy. Now he is healthy, but there’s not a team that has a need.
"So the need might be for both sides to figure this out with the idea and the sense and the belief that Trey Lance is the starter and Jimmy Garoppolo is the No. 2."
Tuesday's deadline for NFL teams to trim rosters to 53 players will echo if the 49ers hanging on to Garoppolo is a legitimate possibility.