Coming into this offseason, some expected the San Francisco 49ers to be aggressive in looking to trade starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in order to give Trey Lance the starting spot.
Although there were reports they did try to trade him, no move was made.
With training camp opening up this week, Garoppolo is still under center for the 49ers, and he has been cleared to resume football activities after undergoing shoulder surgery.
On Tuesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan made the first definitive statement on the brewing QB controversy by saying it’s time for Lance to take the keys.
Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the 49ers have moved on from Jimmy Garoppolo. pic.twitter.com/AAT9ifr5YI
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) July 26, 2022
#49ers coach Kyle Shanahan says he, John Lynch and Jimmy Garoppolo spoke this morning and everyone is one the same page: "We have moved on to Trey."
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 26, 2022
This may have been the best possible way for the scenario to play out, with minimal hurt feelings and no impulsive Garoppolo trades that may not have brought back enough value.
This Seems To Open The Door For A Trade
There was never any reason or urgency for San Francisco to rush into a Garoppolo trade, and they certainly were patient.
They have been rumors that a few teams, including the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and even the Seattle Seahawks had interest in him, but apparently, the 49ers never got an offer they deemed satisfactory.
Part of the reason why might have been the fact that Garoppolo was coming off surgery, something that always seems to dent a player’s trade value.
But now that training camps have started across the league, reality will start to seep in for teams that have less than a solid situation under center.
That may act as a catalyst for a potential Garoppolo trade, as a potential trade partner may want to do a deal sooner rather than later in order to get him acclimated to its system and players.
If The Garoppolo Era In San Francisco Is Over, It Was A Solid One
It’s easy to forget the predicament the Niners were in when they acquired Garoppolo from the New England Patriots in 2017.
After reaching the Super Bowl in the 2012 campaign, they saw mainstays such as Colin Kaepernick, Frank Gore and Patrick Willis move on, and they entered a new dark era starting in the 2014 season.
Garoppolo’s arrival made the franchise relevant again, and just two seasons later, it was back in the Super Bowl, where it blew a late lead to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Last season, San Francisco righted the ship after a bad start and made it to the NFC Championship Game, where it again led late but fell, this time to the Los Angeles Rams.
Garoppolo isn’t an elite QB, but he is an above-average one, and at age 30, he should have plenty of football left as long as he stays healthy.
With the rest of the 49ers’ key contributors all in their 20s, it’s time for them to see what Lance is and will be moving forward.
Getting rid of Garoppolo could also have the side effect of allowing the team to offer star wide receiver Deebo Samuel and pass rusher Nick Bosa competitive contract extensions, thus creating a sense of certainty in terms of roster continuity.
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