Jimmy Garoppolo says staying in San Francisco 49ers ‘wasn’t really on my mind’ until recently

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Because as surprised as San Francisco 49ers Is it possible for them to keep the midfielder? Jimmy Garoppolo on a dramatically slashed signing, that pales in comparison to how Garoppolo himself thought his dramatic season would end.

On Thursday, Garoppolo spoke to Bay Area media for the first time since February 1 and since signing a revised one-year contract to stay in San Francisco on Monday. It was not the position Garoppolo had envisioned returning to after saying an emotional goodbye to the team, fans and media in the winter.

That’s because, during a tumultuous season that included right shoulder surgery, Garoppolo always believed an opportunity to start elsewhere would materialize.

“[Returning] I don’t really think about being completely honest,” Garoppolo said. I’m practicing here. I have to be here, so I’m here for that reason. I’m just trying to get my body right. … I feel so confident out there and I know I’m ready to go. I just need to find out where it is. And everything was fine in these last few days. “

For most of the season, a divorce between Garoppolo and the Niners seemed imminent with Trey Lance set to take over in the quarter.

According to Garoppolo, he and his agent had “a lot of discussions with other teams” but nothing got to the stage where another team talked to him about renewing his contract. for ease of purchase.

However, if it weren’t for shoulder surgery, that could be a different story. At the NFL owners’ meeting in the spring, general manager John Lynch said any serious concerns disappeared once Garoppolo went through with the procedure.

On Thursday, Lynch revealed that he thought something was about to happen before then.

“What I can tell you with great confidence is like co-op time, having really serious talks with maybe two, three teams that I feel – you have to ask them – like this. This is going to happen,” Lynch said. “And then that’s when that news came out.”

But once Garoppolo continued to throw at the end of June and was allowed to practice at the start of the Niners camp on July 26, previous concern never rekindled, as most of the tough teams filled the their midfield position.

“That’s why we’re a bit at a loss,” Lynch said. “Yes. Because you can talk to his doctor, you can talk to our doctor, he can talk to a lot of people and he did well. But we are very glad they didn’t. We’re glad he’s here.”

Through it all, neither side has any set deadlines, which allows the 49ers to stick to Garoppolo throughout pre-season in case injuries elsewhere open the door.

Even as the likelihood of that happening diminishes, Garoppolo said he considered asking San Francisco to release him. But he never pulled the trigger because he didn’t want what was almost a success four years back to end up that way.

“That’s not the path I wanted to go,” Garoppolo said. “I think there was a time to think about it, trust me there, but it comes and goes. … I’m one of those people where I don’t want to really ruffle too much here and there and I just wanted to go with the flow. And that’s how the training camp went and I’m happy with it.”

Ultimately, the situation took a turn for the worse this week, as the Niners had to decide whether to keep Garoppolo on the roster on Tuesday. Despite earlier assertions to the contrary, the idea that the Niners would keep Garoppolo at the cap of his previous $26.9 million salary was never an option, coach Kyle Shanahan said. .

That means Garoppolo has to drop a large sum to stay or be released and identify a situation that he believes is more in his favor.

When asked why he picked his ex on Thursday, Garoppolo said it was “a lot of things”, pointing to his familiarity with his team, scheme, coach and having Perhaps most importantly, establish himself for beyond 2022. That’s why it was important for Garoppolo to include a no-trade and no-tagging clause in his re-employment contract.

“See the other opportunities going on there and you weigh the pros and cons of everything,” says Garoppolo. “Believe me, there’s been a lot of back and forth with other teams and what I want my future to look like. And so this is what I want.”

Just a few hours before meeting the media, Garoppolo returned to the training ground in the familiar number 10 shirt. It was a familiar sight, though for the first time ever, Garoppolo finished second in individual drills behind Lance.

All are part of Garoppolo’s new and old reality simultaneously. For now, at least, Garoppolo and Lance don’t seem to care how they’re going to make their unique situation work.

Before bringing back Garoppolo, Shanahan spoke to both midfielders. His message was simple: Nothing has changed about the way business is handled.

“It’s not my decision, it’s the organization’s decision,” Lance said. “Jimmy has been on the list the whole time. Obviously, I know the possibility of bringing him back is possible. There has been no blood between Jimmy and I since day one. . I’ve opened my arms, I’m happy to bring him back.”