San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke with reporters via a conference call on Tuesday. He did so from his office at the team facility, noting that he could see quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on the practice field from his window.
"I'm watching him throw right now, and he looks pretty good," Lynch said.
The general manager confirmed that Garoppolo is cleared to practice. However, both sides have "mutually" agreed that the best thing right now is to have the quarterback work on the side. Garoppolo doesn't have any restrictions, though.
"Jimmy's doing a really good job, kind of building his stamina in the throwing program that was prescribed all along, and working out really strongly and aggressively," Lynch said.
As #49ers start 5th practice of camp, Jimmy Garoppolo is still working on side field and pausing to chat with @SteveMariucci
GM John Lynch said Jimmy is doing really good job building stamina in throwing program for shoulder rehab (and Jimmy relayed same to me yesterday) pic.twitter.com/zbkmY79CNu
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) August 2, 2022
The 49ers, like fans, await a resolution to the Garoppolo saga. The team hoped to trade their former starting quarterback in March. However, Garoppolo's decision to undergo shoulder surgery complicated the situation—halting trade talks.
The list of quarterback-needy teams dwindled in the following months, leaving the 49ers with few options. A release would free up most of Garoppolo's over $26 million salary-cap hit. However, it would also allow him to sign anywhere—including the division-rival Seattle Seahawks—with San Francisco receiving nothing in return.
Even with Garoppolo on the road to a strong recovery, the 49ers continue to wait because that's all they can do now. This is the last component of a complicated offseason that also involved negotiating a contract extension with superstar wideout Deebo Samuel.
"That situation is kind of where we described it before," Lynch said. "We'll stay patient through this one as well, and come to a great conclusion for everybody involved."
The New England Patriots traded Garoppolo to the 49ers in 2017. He owns a 31-14 regular-season record as San Francisco's starting quarterback.
The 30-year-old quarterback completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions last season. He has thrown for 11,852 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 38 interceptions in his eight NFL seasons.