49ers GM doesn't anticipate selecting a QB in first round of 2021 draft

One of the biggest questions surrounding the San Francisco 49ers this offseason is whether or not they'll move on from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who has played just one full season with the franchise.

49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have reiterated that they plan to have Garoppolo continue to be the starting quarterback in 2021. However, anything can happen, and San Francisco holds the No. 12 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, giving the franchise a solid opportunity to start fresh at QB if it chooses. 

Despite the opportunity to select a new signal-caller, Lynch said during an interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic that he doesn't expect to select a quarterback in the first round of this year's draft. 

Lynch said on "The TK Show," as transcribed by NBC Sports Bay Area:

"We certainly could [select a QB]. I don't anticipate that right now, but we're so early in the process. We'll do what's best for this team. I do wanna make it clear, and I think Kyle and I have been fairly transparent since we've been here, we have a lot of belief in Jimmy Garoppolo. Where does that come from? It comes from the sample that we have, and when he's been out there, we've been better. We've been successful.

"In addition to that, his teammates understand that. I've always believed leaders not only play at a high level, but they also make everyone else around them better. He's had that quality on our team, I think he's a good fit for what we do system-wise. Are there some areas he can improve on, sure, and we'll always challenge him to do that. But we have liked working with him, and we're excited to have him back."

Garoppolo has played just one full season in San Francisco since signing a then-record five-year, $137.5 million deal with the 49ers in 2018. During his only full season in 2019, Garoppolo went 13-3, leading the Niners to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012. 

Still, the 29-year-old has suffered an unimaginable amount of injuries, making him unreliable for the team in the long run. He played just six games this season and played three during the 2018 season. 

People around the NFL believe that the 49ers will move on from Garoppolo this offseason if they can find a better solution at quarterback, ESPN's Chris Mortensen said during "Sunday NFL Countdown."

At this point, anything can happen. We'll just have to wait and see.