The 49ers and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo seemed set to head in different directions all offseason, but Monday brought word that Garoppolo will be staying with the team on a revised contract.
Garoppolo will not be returning to the starting job, however. Head coach Kyle Shanahan reiterated on Tuesday that Trey Lance is the team’s starter and told reporters at a press conference that the decision to work things out with Garoppolo was not a hedge against Lance being ready for the job.
Shanahan said “the rest of the league had a chance to get” Garoppolo and that the chance to have a starting NFL quarterback in the No. 2 job made the Niners a “much better team.”
“This was, ‘Oh my God, Jimmy Garoppolo’s available as a backup quarterback.’ . . . It was pretty shocking for us,” Shanahan said, via 95.7 The Game. “We thought it was a win-win for both sides.”
Shanahan said he was not concerned about Garoppolo missing the entire offseason while recovering from shoulder surgery and waiting for his roster situation to get settled. That finally happened in about the least expected way possible and the 49ers are moving forward with the veteran on board for 2022.