49ers excuse QB Jimmy Garoppolo from mandatory minicamp

There may be yet another sign that the San Francisco 49ers and veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo are headed toward an inevitable divorce as 2021 rookie Trey Lance sits atop the depth chart for springtime practices and workouts. 

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero (h/t Kevin Patra), the 49ers have excused Garoppolo from attending their mandatory minicamp this week. According to David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone, the club shifted minicamp from June 13-15 to this Tuesday through Thursday. 

Garoppolo underwent surgery in March to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder, and it is been reported he would not be cleared to resume throwing work until between late this month and some point in July. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters last month that trade discussions regarding Garoppolo's services should pick back up once the 30-year-old can throw footballs and presumably pass a team physical, but Shanahan admitted at that time no such transaction could be guaranteed. 

As Michael David Smith noted for Pro Football Talk, Garoppolo is owed a $24.2 million base salary for 2022 and carries a $26.95 million salary-cap hit, but the 49ers could save $25.55 million in cap space by cutting or trading him. However, general manager John Lynch insisted before the NFL Draft in April that the 49ers can afford to keep Garoppolo on the roster through at least the start of the season if no team matches their asking price for him this summer.