The San Francisco 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo era really seems to be over this time.
With the former Niners quarterback hitting free agency, head coach Kyle Shanahan adamantly dismissed any possibility of re-signing him when speaking to reporters Wednesday.
When asked if he could see a possible Garropolo return given the Niners’ uncertainty at quarterback, Shanahan bluntly replied, “No, I don’t see a scenario for that.”
The Niners head into the offseason with Brock Purdy and Trey Lance as options to start 2023 under center. Lance, the 3rd overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft, was named a starter to open the season but suffered a broken ankle in Week 2 at the end of the season.
Purdy, the 2022 NFL draft’s Mr. Irrelevant, eventually took over as a starter when Garoppolo went down in Week 13 and led San Francisco to eight straight wins between the end of the regular season and the playoffs, but is now recovering from a torn UCL from the NFC Championship Game.
Jimmy Garoppolo is really leaving Niners this time
Garoppolo has been a member of the 49ers since the 2017 in-season trade that took him from the high-profile New England Patriots backup to the San Francisco starter.
Over the next half decade, Garoppolo led the Niners to consistent winning records and Super Bowl LIV. But that didn’t stop the team from trading and drafting Lance. Despite the team’s success, questions continued to circulate as to whether the Niners, one of the NFL’s most talented teams, could do better at the QB.
It was widely expected that the Niners would trade Garoppolo last offseason when Lance was ready to take over as a starter, but shockingly kept him on a restructured one-year deal. That was a lucky move as Lance got injured until Garoppolo went down himself.
Now Garoppolo is entering free agency in hopes of finding a team willing to count on him as a starting quarterback. Worst-case scenario, it would probably be a premium backup for a contender. In the meantime, the Niners will likely be looking for their own support, but Shanahan didn’t provide reporters with many details other than that they want “the best available.” [quarterback] that can fit into our team structure and salary cap.”
Both Purdy and Lance are still in rehab. Shanahan said he expects Lance to be ready to practice by the start of the OTAs in April, while Purdy will likely need a few more months.
Jimmy Garoppolo leaves the Niners. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)