Panthers reportedly have 'concerns' about Jimmy Garoppolo's shoulder

The San Francisco 49ers electing to excuse veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from attending their mandatory minicamp this week didn't set off any figurative alarms regarding the surgery Garoppolo had in March to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder. 

It was always assumed Garoppolo wouldn't resume throwing before late June at the earliest, and 2021 rookie Trey Lance has been cemented atop the depth chart amid the 30-year-old's absence. 

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters last month he still "expects" the team will find a buyer for Garoppolo once he can throw in front of coaches and pass team physicals. A confident Garoppolo declared in late April he will "absolutely" be ready for the start of regular-season games in September, but it appears at least one club isn't convinced that's the case. 

The Carolina Panthers have repeatedly been linked with Garoppolo in rumors, as it's widely thought he'd be an immediate upgrade over Sam Darnold and third-round draft pick Matt Corral. However, The Athletic's Joseph Person reported for a piece published on Monday that "there are concerns within the Panthers organization about the health of Garoppolo’s throwing shoulder after surgery in March." 

Person offered no additional information. 

The Panthers could, of course, dismiss such worries by evaluating Garoppolo in person once he's cleared to throw footballs this summer. It is also possible such a story came from within the Panthers in their attempt to land Garoppolo's services for pennies on the dollar. 

Whatever the case, there still appears to be zero signs that outside teams are going to start blowing phones up about trading for either Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns anytime soon. Instead, clubs may be testing to see how serious the 49ers truly are about keeping Garoppolo on the roster through training camp and the preseason.