It's been over three weeks since the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Some are still criticizing Jimmy Garoppolo's performance late in the game, so naturally, 49ers general manager John Lynch was asked about his quarterback during his Tuesday press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
"Extremely proud of Jimmy, and I can't speak enough about what a great teammate he is," Lynch told reporters. "From day one, when he entered our building, he made everyone else around him better, and I think he's continued to do that. He had his first full season as a starter in the NFL and ended up in the Super Bowl.
"I know Jimmy feels the same way — we all do; we left a little out there (in the Super Bowl), and that's a shame. That's something we're going to have to deal with, really, for the rest of our lives. But nobody knows that more than him. I'm incredibly proud, as is our entire organization, for the way he's handled himself, and the way he's played, and for the way he's kind of let our team."
Some have wondered if the 49ers might decide to move on from Garoppolo and seek out another quarterback to replace him. Tom Brady's name has even been linked to San Francisco by some in the media. Although, that appears to be pure speculation at this point.
Lynch wanted to assure reporters that any thought of parting ways with Garoppolo is not on the minds of 49ers decision-makers.
"We're extremely proud of Jimmy and committed to Jimmy moving forward," Lynch said. "He's our guy. As I've said, from the day he walked into our building, he made us better, and we continue to feel that's the case. And that's the most exciting think about him, is the room for growth. He's not come close to hitting his ceiling.
"I think the room for growth, the more experience he gets in this system, the more experience he gets playing in general, we think the arrow is up, and that's a good thing."