San Francisco 49ers’ John Lynch Admits Jimmy Garoppolo Trade Talks Are Happening

A Jimmy Garoppolo trade from the San Francisco 49ers can’t be made official until the new NFL league year opens up in roughly two weeks. In no way does this mean a trade won’t be agreed to here within the next few days.

49ers general manager John Lynch spoke to the media on Wednesday from the site of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

In doing so, the front office head told reporters that San Francisco has had discussions with other teams regarding a Garoppolo trade and plans to continue these talks as free agency opens here soon.

The expectation has always been that San Francisco’s brass and Garoppolo will work together to find the 30-year-old signal caller a new home. Garoppolo touched on that immediately after the 49ers blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams back in January.

“I was talking to John (Lynch) yesterday about finding the right destination. I just want to go to a place where they want to win,” Garoppolo told reporters back on February 1.

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Jimmy Garoppolo Shoulder Surgery And Impact On Potential Trade

There’s another pretty big backdrop to all of this. It was noted earlier in the week that Garoppolo is set to undergo surgery on his throwing shoulder and could miss up to 16 weeks. While this timeline would still make him available for some of training camp and the preseason, it complicates things further.

Lynch touched on that bit of breaking news, indicating that “it is described as a minor surgery” and “the prognosis is really good.”

Amid reports of Garoppolo needing surgery, ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that there’s still multiple teams interested in the quarterback’s services. How said surgery might impact his trade value remains to be seen.

Common logic seems to suggest that the 49ers can get a haul similar to what the New York Jets received from the Carolina Panthers for Sam Darnold last offseason. New York acquired a sixth-round pick in 2021 as well as second and fourth-round selections in 2022.

When looking at the statistical differences between these two quarterbacks (past two seasons), it’s easy to conclude Garoppolo has performed better.

Sam Darnold: 60% completion, 4,735 yards, 18 touchdowns, 24 interceptions, 72.3 rating (6-17 record)

Jimmy Garoppolo: 68% completion, 4,906 yards, 27 TD, 17 INT, 97.2 rating (12-9 record)

Jimmy Garoppolo trade market

Looking at it through the lens of quarterback-needy teams, there’s as many as 10 who could be in the market for a new quarterback. Among them, Garoppolo has been linked primarily to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders.

Pittsburgh saw longtime starter and two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger retire following the 2021 season. Meanwhile, Washington started three quarterbacks under center last season.

As for the Colts, they are preparing to move off Carson Wentz after just one season. That will likely come via trade or release ahead of the new league year. It’s an open question whether general mananger Chris Ballard would view Garoppolo as an upgrade over Wentz.

Other teams that could show some interest in Garoppolo this month include the Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers.

San Francisco 49ers sing Trey Lance’s praise

When San Francisco traded up to the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to select Lance, there was some who believed that Garoppolo would be moved immediately.

That was never the plan behind the scenes. A small-school product from North Dakota State, Lance wasn’t ready to take over under center. While he displayed flashes in limited time as a rookie, growing pains were the name of the game.

Now, entering his first full offseason as a member of the 49ers, it’s time for Lance to prove that he can be handed the keys to the kingdom. Hence, why Garoppolo will likely be traded here soon.

In talking about his young quarterback on Wednesday, Lynch sounded an optimistic tone.

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“He’s everything we thought he was when we traded a lot to go get him and more. I really believe that. There’s a ton of excitement. Of course, there’s some unknown. There always is in this game,” San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch on Trey Lance, via NFL Network. “Trey’s made of the right stuff. Both talent wise and in his spirit of who he is, the intangibles. Guys like playing for him. Guys like being around him. We’re certainly excited to see what he can do.”

We wouldn’t expect anything different from Lynch given that San Francisco used three first-round picks and a mid-round selection for Lance. That’s especially true with Garoppolo firmly on the trade block. In reality, it’s a PR game to help hype up the youngster while attempting to create more leverage in Garoppolo trade talks.

For now, we wait and see what is going to happen with Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers. Talks will undoubtedly continue with general managers meeting up in Indianapolis during the combine this week. Perhaps, something gets done in short order.