Jimmy Garoppolo will 'absolutely' be 100 percent by start of 2022 NFL season

While speaking with reporters on Monday, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch repeated that the organization can afford to be patient regarding the future of veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who is set to carry a $26.95 million cap hit for the 2022 NFL season as 2021 rookie Trey Lance presumably prepares to become the team's new starter later this year. 

One reason Garoppolo's status remains in question is that he underwent surgery in March to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder and, by all accounts, couldn't pass a club physical ahead of the draft that gets underway on Thursday night. Per Tom Hanslin of 95.7 The Game, Garoppolo appeared on CBS Sports Radio's "The DA Show" on Tuesday and offered an update on his recovery. 

"Shoulder's feeling good," Garoppolo explained. "It's been a very productive offseason. Getting a lot done, we're moving in the right direction. 

"I wish I could say [I'm 100-percent now]. But we're working toward it. I think we'll have a better idea, down the road. We'll get into summertime and start throwing, things like that. But, right now, we're just trying to get back to the basics. Get this thing feeling right and get all the swelling out of there." 

According to David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone, Garoppolo was asked if he thinks he'll be ready to go for the start of the regular season in September. 

"Oh yeah, absolutely," the 30-year-old responded. "It will be a process, but I knew that. I've gone through ACL surgery, so it's nothing that I haven't been through before."

Earlier in the offseason, both Lynch and 49ers CEO Jed York made it clear they aren't keen on releasing Garoppolo and losing him for nothing. On Monday, Lynch added: 

"He’s a good player at a position where they’re hard to find. You certainly just don’t give guys like that away and we can, I guess, foot the bill if you want to describe it as that." 

Assuming Garoppolo truly won't resume throwing until some point this summer, it appears he won't be on the trade block anytime soon.