Last March, the 49ers made a trade up to the third pick in the draft. It was clear they’d take a quarterback. It wasn’t clear which one. It also wasn’t clear what would happen with Jimmy Garoppolo.
Ultimately, Trey Lance became the pick. On Thursday, Adam Schein asked Garoppolo about the 2021 season, with Lance as the highly-touted new guy. While Garoppolo praised Lance for being “down to earth” and “not entitled,” it became obvious that Garoppolo didn’t regard the overall experience in 2021 as a positive one.
“It was a strange year,” Garoppolo said. “I don’t know if I’d wish that on anybody.”
The comment comes at a time when the 49ers have yet to find a trade partner for Garoppolo, due in large part to the shoulder surgery he underwent earlier this offseason. The chances of finding someone to take on his $25 million compensation package are slim. At some point, the 49ers may have to decide between cutting him or keeping him.
It’s hard to imagine the 49ers keeping him. It’s hard to imagine Garoppolo wanting to be kept for 2022, based on what he said about 2021.