Report: 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo 'not a lock' to be traded this offseason
Few, if any, knowledgeable individuals were surprised when San Francisco 49ers veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo seemed to offer a farewell to local fans and media members shortly after the loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. It's widely assumed Garoppolo was merely keeping the spot atop the depth chart warm for 2021 rookie Trey Lance and that the 30-year-old will be traded at some point during the new league year that opens in March so Lance can become San Francisco's new QB1.
To borrow from college football's Lee Corso: Not so fast, my friend.
Per Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report, ESPN's Adam Schefter spoke with Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus on Wednesday and said "it's not a lock" the 49ers will trade Garoppolo either before or after this year's draft.
Schefter adds that "Lance was probably further behind than people realized" during his rookie season and is "greener than people realize" coming off San Francisco's playoff run. While the 49ers proved they can compete for a Super Bowl berth under Garoppolo, Lance may not be ready to make a leap between the closing days of winter and September to follow in his mentor's footsteps.
Schefter isn't the first person to openly say Lance doesn't yet possess the goods to perform under the bright lights of postseason games less than 12 months from today. Lance's perceived slow development is a big reason Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio and handfuls of others continue to link the 49ers with none other than Tom Brady, who would have to be traded by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if he wanted to end his retirement and play for his beloved childhood club later this year.
The 49ers may not trade Garoppolo for pennies on the dollar but could be convinced to pull the trigger on such a transaction if they could land the G.O.A.T. during the summer.
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