The 49ers officially announced their trade for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on Tuesday morning.
Along with confirming that they’ll be sending a 2018 second-round pick to New England, the team also announced that there will be a press conference with Garoppolo on Tuesday afternoon. That will be the first chance to hear from Garoppolo since the deal was completed, but we got a glimpse into General Manager John Lynch’s thought process via a statement.
“We are thrilled for Jimmy to join the 49ers family,” Lynch said. “Jimmy is a player we have researched extensively since Kyle [Shanahan] and I joined the 49ers. I am extremely pleased this came together today and we all think it is a big win for our organization. Albeit in limited game action, Jimmy has displayed the characteristics and traits that we believe are vital to being a successful quarterback in this league. He has had the rare opportunity to sit and learn from a future Hall of Fame quarterback in a championship atmosphere. We look forward to Jimmy joining the team tomorrow and hitting the ground running.”
One of the questions that Lynch, Shanahan and Garoppolo will surely hear will have to do with Garoppolo’s contractual future. His contract is up at the end of the season and the 49ers will have to decide between signing him, franchising him or letting him hit the open market. The last option seems like a highly unlikely one, although Lynch’s mention of “limited game action” is a reminder that the 49ers didn’t trade for a sure thing on Monday night.