49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo to Have Surgery on Shoulder Injury amid Trade Buzz

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is generating significant interest in trade discussions even though he is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery this offseason, 49ers GM John Lynch confirmed on Good Morning Football on Wednesday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter initially reported the surgery on Tuesday, noting it is for an injury Garoppolo suffered during the NFC Wild Card Game win over the Dallas Cowboys. While the surgery will "sideline him until this summer," Schefter reported "it is not expected to impact his trade status," with the 49ers likely to move him at some point in March.

The expectation is the veteran quarterback will be able to start throwing again before July 4 and will work with the new medical and coaching staffs of whichever team trades for him.

The writing was on the wall for Garoppolo's future with the 49ers when the NFC West team traded up to select Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft. While Lance didn't see the field for significant time as a rookie, it was clear the team thought of him as a long-term answer at the position.

Garoppolo himself previously confirmed his representatives were working with San Francisco to facilitate a trade.

He told reporters he wanted to go to a winning team and "knew this would happen eventually."

Yet Albert Breer of The MMQB reported the 49ers weren't clear on what Garoppolo's trade value will be this offseason given the potential other quarterback options. Teddy Bridgewater, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are all free agents, and there is still some remaining uncertainty about Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson.

The 30-year-old veteran was solid for San Francisco last season and completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Still, the team seemingly schemed around him a number of times, and his interception in the final two minutes of the NFC Championship Game ended San Francisco's chances of defeating the eventual-champion Los Angeles Rams.

Garoppolo is an experienced option who has played in the Super Bowl and another NFC Championship Game. While he isn't going to challenge for the MVP and is likely more of a backup option than the first plan for many teams, he is still someone who figures to have a market at some point this offseason.

That is apparently the case even with this shoulder surgery.