49ers' Kyle Shanahan offers strong response to Raiders' Jimmy Garoppolo

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan offered a strong response Wednesday to comments delivered by current Las Vegas Raiders quarterback and former 49ers starter Jimmy Garoppolo earlier this week. 

"I try not to pay attention [to comments] outside of here," Shanahan told reporters, as shared by David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "I try to deal with the people in here that I have to deal with, and I have felt very good about that."

Garoppolo raised eyebrows during a chat with Sports Illustrated’s Robin Lundberg when the veteran signal-caller referred to the 49ers' trade of quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys as one of "a lot of weird situations over there in San Francisco."

Throughout Jimmy G's tenure with the 49ers which began during the 2017 season, he started two NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl. Despite his successful record, Shanahan and general manager John Lynch at least considered replacing Garoppolo with Tom Brady in March 2020, and the club then drafted Lance with the third overall pick in 2021. 

After both Garoppolo and Lance lost the San Francisco starting gig to injury setbacks and to 2022 rookie sensation Brock Purdy, Shanahan noted this past February that he couldn't "see any scenario" where Garoppolo would remain with the organization. Garoppolo happily signed with the Raiders in March. 

"Jimmy, the comments are the comments," Shanahan added during his media availability. "I'm really not concerned about his comments. ... I think anytime you trade up to the third pick in the draft and it doesn't work out, that's the 'weird situation.' But that is the situation. So that's what happened. I don't think it's that weird. It's unusual that doesn't work out, but I wouldn't think that's weird. I think that's unusual."

Garoppolo, Shanahan and Lance are now all experiencing different situations than they found themselves in 12 months ago. Only time will tell if Shanahan and company chose wisely by not going all-in on Garoppolo and by giving up on Lance so early into his career to instead anoint Purdy as the new franchise savior at the position.