The San Francisco 49ers had to have been disappointed with Jimmy Garoppolo’s performance in the Super Bowl, but at least the quarterback gained valuable experience that can help him going forward. However, with rumors swirling that the 49ers are interested in signing Tom Brady, you have to wonder if general manager John Lynch fears Garoppolo’s play on the big stage was as good as it gets.
Lynch has publicly supported Garoppolo this offseason and said the Niners are committed to the 28-year-old going forward, but Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston says he was told by multiple sources that Lynch is concerned about Garoppolo’s ceiling and decision making. Interestingly enough, Lynch recently emphasized how much room he believes Jimmy G. has to grow.
“From the day he walked into our building, he made us better and we continue to feel that’s the case, and that’s the most exciting thing about him, is the room for growth,” Lynch said, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He has not come close to hitting the ceiling. I think the room for growth, the more experience he gets in this system, the more experience he gets playing, in general, we think the arrow’s up, and that’s a good thing.”
In the rare event that the 49ers do sign Brady, that would probably say a lot more about their lack of confidence in Garoppolo than anything else. There’s a reason San Francisco structured Garoppolo’s contract in a way that allows them to cut him with minimal penalty this offseason. They were unconvinced when they extended him that he can be a franchise quarterback, so Garoppolo’s struggles late in the Super Bowl cannot have done much to convince them.
We’ve already seen one star 49ers player come out in support of Garoppolo, and the team would certainly be taking a risk if they signed a 43-year-old quarterback. The goal would be to win a Super Bowl next year and see what happens after that. Unless Lynch is fully convinced that Brady is all his current roster is missing, that may not be the wisest move.
