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John Lynch: 49ers Were 'Upfront' with Jimmy Garoppolo About Targeting QB in Draft
May 19, 2021
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch opened up about his discussion with Jimmy Garoppolo regarding the team's decision to pursue a quarterback in the 2021 NFL draft.
Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd (h/t David Bonilla of 49ersWebZone.com), Lynch said the 49ers were "upfront" with Garoppolo about their thought process:
"When I went to Jimmy, I told him the truth. Like, 'Look, we have made a decision that we're going to pursue a quarterback this offseason. You know, Jimmy, when you've played, you've been tremendous, and the record speaks to that. We feel like there's room for growth. The biggest thing has been it's hard to keep you on the field.'"
When the 49ers made the deal with the Miami Dolphins for the No. 3 pick on March 26, it was with the understanding they were going to select a quarterback.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the trade that he would assume Garoppolo "was a little pissed off from it" before adding "he'll be fired up and come in and work his butt off."
San Francisco selected Trey Lance with the pick. The North Dakota State alum will eventually be given the keys to Shanahan's offense, though it's unclear how soon that might happen.
Lynch told Cowherd the Niners want to keep Garoppolo, "and we think it's a good situation."
Garoppolo is under contract through the 2022 season. The 29-year-old has been productive when he's played. He threw for 3,978 yards with 27 touchdowns and a 69.1 completion percentage in 2019 to help the 49ers reach the Super Bowl.
The problem for Garoppolo has been staying on the field. He missed the final 13 games of the 2018 season with a torn ACL and sat out 10 games last year due to an ankle injury suffered in Week 2 against the New York Jets.
Lance not only has the potential to develop into a franchise quarterback, he also provides Shanahan with an insurance policy in the event that Garoppolo suffers an injury this season.