49ers' John Lynch Doesn't 'Foresee' Jimmy Garoppolo Being Released amid Trade Rumors

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch doesn't expect to release Jimmy Garoppolo amid trade rumors:

"I don't foresee that. He's too good of a player," Lynch said about releasing the veteran.

The question comes after Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that cutting the quarterback is the "most likely result."

San Francisco has been unable to trade Garoppolo in an offseason where several other starting quarterbacks have been dealt, including Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan and Carson Wentz. 

Albert Breer of The MMQB reported a significant holdup has been Garoppolo's shoulder injury after he underwent surgery earlier this month. 

The 30-year-old has been a reliable part of the 49ers offense when healthy, finishing last season with 3,810 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. He led the NFL with 12.7 yards per completion, and his 98.7 passer rating ranked ninth among qualified quarterbacks.

During his last two healthy seasons, the 49ers reached the Super Bowl and the NFC Championship Game.

San Francisco is still expected to make a change at the position after drafting Trey Lance with the third overall pick in 2021. The organization dealt two future first-round picks for the right to move up from 12th to third last April, getting a player it presumes will be the quarterback of the future.

Garoppolo also has a $26.95 million cap hit for 2022, but the team can save $25.5 million by trading or releasing the quarterback, per Spotrac. 

It's enough incentive to trade Garoppolo, especially if it can land assets that will help build around Lance. 

Though the 49ers clearly don't want to release the veteran, they might need to lower their asking price to secure a deal.