With Jimmy Garoppolo back in the starting lineup for tonight’s game against the Broncos, the San Francisco 49ers got it right at this point last year with a playoff-caliber roster with a guy who can hit Winter’s veteran quarterback leads.
But the winding road that got them here has been months in the making. When Trellance lost the season in September. 18 – Fractured and dislocated ankle during quarterback game against the Seahawks – it sent San Francisco in a circle.
Niners remains firmly committed to the future of Reims. But as Jimmy G prepares to start his starting game today, he has been in the starting lineup since January. 30 In the NFC championship game against the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams, multiple sources involved detail the various stops along the way.
Here’s how we break it down point by point:
- Garoppolo started after Lance was sidelined for 4-6 months with a run/pass option following his injury last Sunday, causing the QB to run over the line of scrimmage. Lance’s injury was described as a triple injury, which meant he fractured his fibula and tore the deltoid and sesamoid ligaments of his ankle. Lance successfully underwent surgery last Monday for what the team said was a fractured fibula and a ruptured ligament (a torn ligament caused by a dislocation).
- But right after their loss in the NFC championship game, it became clear that the 49ers were moving on from a playoff QB, passing the ball to Lance, who provided Lance with a lot of future money to trade. Meanwhile, Garoppolo — whose 2022 contract is largely non-guaranteed, worth $25.6 million — is rehabilitating from a shoulder injury he battled late in the season.
- Several teams desperate for a QB are interested in a potential trade for Garoppolo, most notably the Washington Commanders and the Indianapolis Colts. Both teams eventually turned to quarterbacks that didn’t require surgery, with Washington acquiring Carson Wentz from the Colts and Indianapolis subsequently trading Matt Ryan.
- By late February, it became clear that Garoppolo’s rehabilitation was ineffective and surgery was needed. To overcome the shoulder injury that affected his throwing late in the season — which would have continued to affect his progress if he hadn’t had surgery — was ill-advised for his short- and long-term health. The shoulder is a problem, rest and recovery won’t help, it’s here to stay. At just 30 years old, Garoppolo has been on the field for a few years.
- Garoppolo and his team have a choice. They have the option of having surgery in early March, which would disrupt the trade market that’s infiltrating the 49ers and potentially get new deals from teams ready to commit to him. Or Garoppolo could delay the surgery, let the 49ers trade him, and then pray he passes the medical. That situation would then see his new team have a QB with a surgically repaired shoulder that won’t be able to throw until July. If Garoppolo opts for surgery, he could say goodbye to tens of millions of dollars this spring. The ‘option’ is obvious to his long-term health, although surgery has negated a potential trade that would have landed the Niners a draft pick – Garoppolo needs to repair his shoulder, though he hopes to be a starting four for the new team point guard.
- Garoppolo underwent surgery on March 8 to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder, performed by Dr. Garoppolo. Neal ElAttrache, one of the nation’s leading shoulder specialists. Garoppolo doesn’t throw until July, but is mostly ready at camp. Jimmy G then used his time in training camp to throw on the rehab to strengthen his arm. If a team trades for him, he’ll have limited participation in training camp and then increase his activity. Instead, Garoppolo ran aside and threw in front of 49ers fans as his team attended training camp practice.
- The 49ers were motivated to trade Garoppolo for a major return, similar to when the team last traded the starting QB, allowing his agent to seek a trade in March. However, the unknowns about Garoppolo’s post-operative health make it impossible even if Garoppolo restructures his contract. Carolina eventually turned to trade for Baker Mayfield, who returned to health in June after offseason shoulder surgery.
- Lance is now the 49ers’ starting quarterback, and while Garoppolo needs to pitch — Garoppolo is healthy enough to be traded in San Francisco’s best interest — a deal was struck. Garoppolo received permission to work out at the 49ers facility, and the team treated him with the utmost respect. While this may seem awkward from an outside perspective, it also protects Jimmy G in case he gets hurt while away from the facility. The agreement worked for both parties, and it was evident every day he threw, 49ers coach and general manager John Lynch could see him and see his recovery progress.
- Garoppolo has no trade interest if training camp continues. After Deshaun Watson was suspended for 11 games, no team other than the Browns needed a quarterback, and Cleveland only became interested in quarterbacks after Garoppolo was released, which is the most teams what you think will happen. Only that version never came. When Shanahan brought up the topic of staying in San Francisco with Garoppolo, it was clear that was the best option for all parties.
- The result is a restructured contract that gives Garoppolo a full $6.5 million guarantee and a chance to earn more through incentives. Just today, he could make $350,000 by playing most of the snaps and winning as he did last week.
Incredibly, they joined Garoppolo as the 49ers’ starting quarterback after a very public and friendly goodbye.