A new report suggests that the San Francisco 49ers still believe they will be able to find a trade partner for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo before the start of the season.
The 49ers have struggled to trade Garoppolo after the quarterback underwent shoulder surgery after the season, which ruined his trade value. Garoppolo’s shoulder is expected to be cleared by late June or early July, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. At that point, the 49ers plan to re-engage potential trade partners, and are confident that Garoppolo will no longer be on the roster by Week 1.
The Niners have largely been stuck in a holding pattern with Garoppolo since his surgery. That is not to their liking, as the quarterback carries a cap hit of nearly $27 million for the 2022 season. With Trey Lance slated to start, San Francisco very much wants to get out from under that number.
There is a question of whether the 49ers should be prepared to replace Garoppolo with Lance at this stage, but that is a different question altogether. We also do not know what the 49ers will look to do if the trade interest in Garoppolo they are clearly anticipating does not materialize even after he is cleared.
