The clock is ticking on Jimmy Garoppolo’s time with the 49ers, and it has been winding down since Trey Lance was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
However, former NFL running back James White believes the partnership between the 49ers and Garoppolo should stay alive.
“He’s won them a lot of football games. He has like a 70-percent win percentage,” White said Thursday on ESPN’s "Get Up." "He’s done a lot for that organization. I think you should keep him, restructure the contract. You don’t know how the Trey Lance situation is going to play out. God forbid he gets injured, you have a guy who you know what you can get from him still on your team."
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White was teammates with Garoppolo on the New England Patriots for three seasons from 2014-16. Both players were drafted by the Patriots in 2014 -- Garoppolo in the second round out of Eastern Illinois and White in the fourth round out of Wisconsin.
Garoppolo did produce wins under center in San Francisco. The 49ers went 31-14 in Garoppolo's 45 starts over the last five seasons, made an appearance in Super Bowl LIV and took another trip to last year's NFC Championship Game.
However, the odds are stacked up against Garoppolo remaining in the Bay.
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Unless the veteran quarterback is traded over the weekend, he likely will be cut by the 49ers on Tuesday when all 32 NFL teams slash rosters down to 53 players. Releasing Garoppolo will save the 49ers $25.5 million in cap space.
If Garoppolo is released, Nate Sudfeld is primed to serve as Lance's backup. Rookie signal-caller Brock Purdy, who holds status as "Mr. Irrelevant" as the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, will be fighting for a roster spot in the 49ers' preseason finale against the Houston Texans on Thursday night.