The San Francisco 49ers are very happy that a trade for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo never materialized this offseason, as he seamlessly kept the franchise afloat after new starting quarterback Trey Lance suffered a season-ending ankle fracture in Week 2 of the regular season. Many expect Jimmy G to leave for greener pastures in 2023, but according to a new report, that’s not a given.
According to NFL Media, the 49ers and Garoppolo are set to stay together in 2023. The quarterback is expected to be a free agent this offseason and could be popular. The former Patriot went 6-3 as a starter this season and completed 67.4% of his passes for 2,381 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions.
The 49ers made the decision to roll with Lance as their starting quarterback this past offseason and gave Garoppolo permission to seek a trade. However, Jimmy G and San Francisco failed to find a partner. ESPN reported that the shoulder surgery Garoppolo underwent in the offseason wasn’t an issue that was supposed to affect his trade market, but that’s exactly what he did.
Garoppolo is an impressive 37-17 as a 49ers starter. He helped the franchise get to Super Bowl LIV in 2019 and kicked them out again last season. It’s unclear what role Garoppolo would play if he returned to the 49ers. Lance shouldn’t miss a moment in 2023 with the ankle injury, and Garoppolo should be able to find another job that would secure his starting spot. There’s still a lot of football to play in 2022, but the 49ers and Garoppolo are reportedly not ready to part ways just yet.
