Jimmy Garoppolo Didn’t Want to ‘Ruffle The Feathers’ of 49ers Brass by Requesting a Release

After his first practice with the team all summer, newly-appointed backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo took the podium Thursday afternoon to address the media.

Garoppolo, 30, reached an agreement with the San Francisco 49ers Monday on a restructured contract for one-year, $6.5 million at the base of the deal. The move keeps the former starter in San Francisco for the time being, able to choose his next destination as he heads for free agency in 2o23.

Jimmy G had been recovering from offseason shoulder surgery in March at the 49ers facility during training camp, throwing off to the side with conditioning coaches at the SAP practice facility daily. But when asked about the result, given the circumstances that precluded Monday’s deal, Garoppolo was honest, stating that this wasn’t at the forefront of his mind until recently.

“Really wasn’t on my mind to be completely honest,” Garoppolo said. “I was training out here, I had to be here. So I was here for that reason, but I don’t know. I was just trying to get my body right…[I] felt very confident out there and I knew that I was ready to roll, I just need to figure out where it was and you know, things kind of fell into place these last couple of days really.”

Jimmy Garoppolo is back on the actual 49ers’ practice field for the first time this season pic.twitter.com/O9DdROHd2F

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 1, 2022

Most of the speculation around the veteran QB was whether he would accept a backup role with the red & gold or ask for a release after a trade didn’t materialize. But despite the rumors, Garoppolo wanted to end his time in San Francisco on a positive note, paying back the trust they gave him over the last five years.

“That just wasn’t the way I want it to go. I think that there was a thought of that at one point. Trust me there was but that came and went and I don’t know, things just kind of kept falling into place. And I’m one of those people that I don’t want to really ruffle the feathers too much here and there and kind of want to just go with the flow. And that’s kind of where the training camp was going and I was happy with it. And like I said, things worked out and I’m happy now,” Garoppolo stated.

Initially, there was interest in Jimmy G’s services across the league, and general manager John Lynch confirmed so earlier in the day. It was the familiarity that won over Jimmy in the process of figuring out his next step, happy to work with great a coaching staff as he prepares for his next payday in 2023.

“I think just the opportunity to be with the same team, team that I’m familiar with, offense I’m familiar with, coaches, players, all that stuff really played a big role in it,” Garoppolo said. “You got to look into the future a little bit, contract situations and all that, and I think everybody does that to a certain degree and you have to be smart in that sense of it. But you know, at the end of the day,  I’m a 49er right now and I’m happy about that.”

In regards to the depth chart, Garoppolo finds himself in a familiar situation when he entered the league, a backup to a quarterback with more potential. Nevertheless, the veteran made sure to put the QB controversy rumors to bed Thursday

“Me and Trey, honestly, I know a lot of [expletive] gets made in the media, but we have a strong relationship,” Garoppolo said.

Sure, one can say that words are words, but Trey Lance lights up every time he talks about Jimmy Garoppolo, too. IMO it's clear he genuinely likes him

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 1, 2022

Time will tell if that’s true but from the looks of it, the two quarterbacks are happy to continue working together in San Francisco.

To watch the full Jimmy Garoppolo press conference, click here.

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