One of the San Francisco 49ers' biggest offseason storylines—the quarterback situation—has been resolved. Jimmy Garoppolo is staying with the team. However, the former starter will now serve as second-year quarterback Trey Lance's backup.
San Francisco had hoped to trade Garoppolo, but that got derailed when the quarterback opted to undergo shoulder surgery in March. So when the offseason game of quarterback musical chairs ended, Garoppolo was the one left without a seat.
The option to stay with the 49ers remained, though. It just wasn't going to be at the $24.2 million base salary Garoppolo was scheduled to earn in 2022, and he wouldn't be handed back his starting job. So San Francisco reduced his salary-cap figure, and we get one more season of Garoppolo on the roster.
Just how entrenched in trade conversations were the 49ers before news broke of the surgery?
"What I can tell you with great confidence is Combine time, there were really serious talks," Lynch said Thursday. "When I say serious, probably two, three teams that I felt like—you'd have to ask them—this was going to happen. And that's when that news (of the surgery) broke. Then things went where they went."
Lynch added: "I'm glad that we arrived where we're at. ... We're happy that he's here."
Garoppolo returns to a quarterback room that includes Lance and rookie Brock Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Purdy was a bit of a surprise to make the 53-man roster. The team typically only carries two quarterbacks into the regular season. However, Lynch and company didn't want to risk losing Purdy in the waiver system in an attempt to get the rookie quarterback to the practice squad.
"Brock came in from Day 1, just kind of showed a grasp for our offense," Lynch said. "It wasn't too big. I think his experience [helped]. This is a guy who's played a lot of football. Just command and presence. He steps into that huddle, and it's his huddle. And not afraid to throw into small windows. There's just a lot to like, and he just earned that spot. ... If you have a guy like him, you don't want to expose him (to waivers). We didn't, and we like that room, the way it's constructed right now."