Even as the 49ers said all the right things about Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, they clearly had a wandering eye. They were linked to Deshaun Watson before he became the subject of 22 civil lawsuits; Kyle Shanahan admitted interest in Matthew Stafford before the Lions traded him to the Rams; they made a phone call to the Packers on draft day inquiring about the availability of Aaron Rodgers; finally, they drafted Trey Lance with the third overall choice.
Yet, Shanahan said Tuesday that Garoppolo is the team’s clear QB1.
Garoppolo was asked what he wants from the coaching staff to empower him to play well.
“I don’t know, honestly,” Garoppolo said, via Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com. “I haven’t put too much thought into that. I think our coaches are very unique in the sense that they’re going to put you in a great position every play to be successful. I’ve been fortunate to be around some good coaches who always do that, but that’s not the case in lots teams around the league. So to have the coaching staff that we have, I’m very fortunate. I think our team is very fortunate, and at the end of the day, we’re out there playing football and you just want them to put you in a good position.”
The 49ers have sent mixed messages, keeping Garoppolo as their starting quarterback while clearly looking to move on from him. Garoppolo hasn’t let it faze him.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about awkwardness,” Garoppolo said. “It’s me and Trey. We’ve had a good relationship. We really have. It’s sort of one of those things. It is what it is. This business is weird, but you know, at the end of the day, we’re in that locker room; we’re around each other so much that, you know, it’s just business.”