There has been progress on contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's representatives, per a report on Sunday morning by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
"Long-term contract extension negotiations between Garoppolo and the 49ers have gained significant momentum, and a deal could get done in the near future, sources informed of the situation said," writes Rapoport.
The report states that there is still work to be done in the coming days but the optimism expressed by the 49ers, or more specifically general manager John Lynch, has been warranted. A deal that could make Garoppolo one of the top paid quarterbacks might be close.
"We are, as I said last week, working hard," Lynch said last week during an interview with KNBR. "These things are complicated. We feel optimistic in the discussions we've had with Jimmy's side. I'm not going to talk play-by-play, as I've said, as we agreed with Don Yee and Jimmy's camp that we weren't going to give play-by-play on this. We were going to let it happen. But I can tell you we've had productive conversations and remain very optimistic."
RELATED Key dates related to Jimmy Garoppolo's future with the 49ers
Garoppolo, who was acquired on October 30, 2017, via a trade with the New England Patriots, started the final five games of the season for the 49ers. He completed 67-percent of his passes for 1,542 yards, six touchdowns, five interceptions, and went 5-0 in those starts.
Garoppolo's career record as a starter, which dates back to 2016 with New England, is a perfect 7-0.
San Francisco can sign Garoppolo to a long-term deal at any point, but will need to decide on using the franchise tag should negotiations stall. The franchise tag can be placed on Garoppolo between February 20 and March 6. If that happens, the team will still be able to negotiate an extension until July 16.
"You have our assurances, and the fans do, that we'd like nothing more to make him a Niner for a long, long time," Lynch said back on January 2.