John Lynch rules out 1 outcome in Jimmy Garoppolo situation

The trade market for Jimmy Garoppolo has cooled considerably since the veteran quarterback underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder. That has led to speculation that the San Francisco 49ers could release him, but general manager John Lynch says that is not going to happen.

Lynch was asked about the Garoppolo situation on Monday. He said the Niners plan to either trade or keep the 30-year-old, but they won’t cut him.

“I don’t foresee that,” Lynch said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic. “He’s too good of a player.”

Lynch added that several teams were interested in Garoppolo prior to the shoulder surgery news. He said he has maintained dialogue with interested teams and that the conversations are “fluid.”

“And never were we just going to give him away,” Lynch said. “Guys like Jimmy — who’s won a lot of games, who I love, who Kyle (Shanahan) loves, who ownership loves, his teammates love him — they don’t grow on trees.”

Obviously, Lynch would never admit if the Niners were open to releasing Garoppolo. That would tank the quarterback’s trade value even further. That said, there’s no reason to doubt that San Francisco would actually keep Jimmy G.

Garoppolo led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game last year, where they lost by just a field goal to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. There have been mixed reports about how committed the Niners are to Trey Lance starting in 2022. It would not be a shock if they are genuinely open to starting the season with Garoppolo still on their roster.

Photo: 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