Jimmy Garoppolo trade talks broke down for 1 key reason

Sep 26, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) walks on the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers remain in an awkward situation with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, one that apparently came about because of Garoppolo’s shoulder issues.

49ers GM John Lynch said Monday on KNBR that he felt the team had been “close” to trading Garoppolo up until the quarterback underwent shoulder surgery. At that point, interest dried up.

John Lynch on Garoppolo on @KNBR:

"I felt we were close in some discussions and then the decision was made to have surgery and it brought things to a screeching halt."

"We either want to have Jimmy playing for us, which we're alright with, or we want him to get the value."

— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) May 2, 2022

Garoppolo underwent surgery in early March, and it seemingly caught the rest of the league by surprise. If a team was close to trading for Garoppolo then backed off because of the surgery, they probably didn’t know that procedure was coming.

The 49ers are reportedly confused as to how they still have Garoppolo. They are prepared to move forward with Trey Lance, but the rest of the league apparently sees Garoppolo as damaged goods.