SANTA CLARA -- All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams did not think there was much of a chance quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would end up back with the 49ers.
But when no other team targeted Garoppolo to be a starter, it only made sense he would not be leaving San Francisco just to be a backup somewhere else.
“Yeah, I was surprised that nobody stood up and made him their guy,” Williams said on Monday. “That surprised me more than anything.”
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Garoppolo accepted a dramatic pay cut last week to remain with the 49ers as Trey Lance’s backup. The 49ers open the regular season on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
Ultimately, when nothing materialized around the NFL, Williams believes Garoppolo made the logical decision.
“Him knowing what he was against and deciding to come back here, I thought that was the go-to way for him,” Williams said. “I assumed he would do that under the circumstances.
“But I expected him to be somewhere and starting for somebody.”
San Francisco 49ers
Williams was part of a leadership group that coach Kyle Shanahan informed of the 49ers' decision to work out an agreement with Garoppolo. The veteran players were informed of the move before it was made public.
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Williams said he was completely on-board with Garoppolo taking a spot on the depth chart behind Lance.
“I love him to death,” Williams said of Garoppolo. “He’s a very good dude. He’s an extremely good guy, so having him on our team definitely helps.”